Odd File on my server: core.####

[flhu]

Hi,
A file I don't recognize appeared on my server the other day by the name "core.####" (numbers replaced for security reasons) This almost 7mb file, among long binary passages, seems to have what looks like my perl template script and basically all the functions and variable values it goes through to serve a page, as well as some perl functions I don't recognize. They look like they might have come from some mods the script loads.

I am guessing that the file was created during an error when the server was reset and it is a dump of what was in memory when that occurred, but I really don't know. I haven't been able to find any info on it, and a search brings up Core Ftp, which coincidentally is the FTP program I use... so it might be a file related to that, but for some reason I doubt it.

I'd hate to think that it could be symptomatic of a hacker.

Is it safe to remove?

[wige]

Its fine. The file (I am assuming its in your /root directory?) is a core dump generated after a segmentation fault. There is a program (or at least, there should be) on your server that is part of the default Linux installation for parsing the file to determine the cause of the crash, called gdb. Or, you can simply delete the file.

(A search for "core.1234" in quotes will give you a lot of resources about reading and using these files.)

[edhan]

Yes. It is most likely to be crashed dump. It is safe to remove as I had it happening many years ago.

[ron angel]

Originally Posted by flhu

Hi,
A file I don't recognize appeared on my server the other day by the name "core.####" (numbers replaced for security reasons) This almost 7mb file, among long binary passages, seems to have what looks like my perl template script and basically all the functions and variable values it goes through to serve a page, as well as some perl functions I don't recognize. They look like they might have come from some mods the script loads.

I am guessing that the file was created during an error when the server was reset and it is a dump of what was in memory when that occurred, but I really don't know. I haven't been able to find any info on it, and a search brings up Core Ftp, which coincidentally is the FTP program I use... so it might be a file related to that, but for some reason I doubt it.

I'd hate to think that it could be symptomatic of a hacker.

Is it safe to remove?

This file was used by a top secret government dept to store encrypted personal files of its operatives. only the head of dept knows which server and who's file the 4 fig number relates to so that the operatives cannot see their and other workers files.
The dept was closed down a few years ago after the head was killed by an agent from a foreign country and no body knew which file was on which sever. It is now safe to delete without any problems.....

see below







This is A JOKE (apart from the safe delete part) much more exciting than just saying ok to delete ....... I must write another movie script soon otherwise I will get bored !

[flhu]

Originally Posted by ron angel

This file was used by a top secret government dept to store encrypted personal files of its operatives.

Great stuff

Although personally, I would've gone with a William Gibson "machine gains conscience" motif and that, after working repetitively through enormous inefficiency, thinks my script blows chunks and decided to rewrite it.