SMB (Server Message Block)
SMB, or Server Message Block, is a network file sharing and inter-process communication protocol. It was initially developed by IBM in the mid-1980s for use on early Microsoft networks, which were primarily used for file and printer sharing among DOS and Windows operating systems.
History and Development
- Origin: The first version of SMB was developed by IBM in 1983 for their DOS-based LAN Manager.
- Evolution:
- Microsoft later adopted and modified SMB, calling it CIFS (Common Internet File System) in the late 1990s. This version was designed to work over the Internet.
- Over time, SMB has seen several revisions:
Key Features
- File Sharing: Allows clients to access and manipulate files on a server as if they were on the local machine.
- Printer Sharing: Enables sharing of printers over the network.
- Inter-Process Communication: Facilitates communication between different processes on the network.
- Authentication: Provides methods for user authentication to ensure only authorized access.
- Encryption: Later versions of SMB support encryption to secure data transmission.
- Scalability: Designed to handle both small workgroups and large enterprise environments.
Security Concerns
Earlier versions of SMB, particularly SMB 1.0, have been criticized for security vulnerabilities:
- Vulnerability to attacks like EternalBlue, which was exploited by malware like WannaCry.
- Microsoft has since deprecated SMB 1.0 in newer versions of Windows due to these issues.
External Links
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