vnc server running in a citrix connection

[me]

I have a friend of mine that works for a work from home company and she
has a concern. I believe I know the answer but she is concerned enough
that I figured I would ask you all. She connects to a remote server from
her laptop using a vpn and citrix. On the remote server her company has
vnc server so that they can monitor her work. The question is, with the
vnc server on the remote server running can they see her laptops desktop
or will they just see the remote servers desktop. I believe that they
will only see the remote servers desktop since that is where the server
is located but she is concerned that even though it is on the remote
server, that they are able to see her laptops desktop as well.

Thank you
//adam

[Long, Phillip GOSS]

-----Original Message-----
From: vnc-list-***@realvnc.com [mailto:vnc-list-***@realvnc.
com] On Behalf Of me
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2012 6:04 PM
To: vnc-***@realvnc.com
Subject: vnc server running in a citrix connection

I have a friend of mine that works for a work from home company and
she has a concern. I believe I know the answer but she is concerned
enough

<snip>

server, that they are able to see her laptops desktop as well.

Thank you
//adam




Adam:

Assuming that the VNC server at your friend's workplace is compiled
from standard code, she need not worry that her employer can see
her desktop. That said, the code is open-source, and there is
nothing to prevent them from modifying the source of vncviewer,
which can already act as a server, to allow the employer to snoop
on her. Were I in her position and worried about it, I would get a
copy of the standard vncviewer and use that instead. If the
employer distributes the standard version, they wouldn't notice
(unless they check timestamps or something should they ever get
access to my computer); since it would be the standard
distribution, they wouldn't be able to snoop. if they complained
that I wasn't using the code they gave me, OTOH, that would pretty
much confirm that what they gave me wasn't standard, and they
*were* snooping on my desktop.

My two cents worth; HTH!

Thx, Phil Long

--------------------------------------------------------

Goss ... Innovation for Business

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[Long, Phillip GOSS]

-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Hobaugh [mailto:vnc-***@realvnc.com]
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:39 AM
To: Long, Phillip GOSS
Subject: Re: vnc server running in a citrix connection

Thank you for your response. The way that they have it set up is on
the remote desktop she gets with citrix, the first thing she must
do is start a vnc server on that desktop so they can use the veiwer
to see the remote desktop. If the remote desktop has a modified
version of the server on it. Would it be able to somehow see her
desktop on her local machine? I am not sure if it is possible for
the server to hop onto the citrix connection and see her laptops
desktop as well as the remote one.

//adam

----------

Adam: Assuming that the VNC server at your friend's workplace is
compiled from standard code, she need not worry that her employer
can

<snip>



Adam:

Not having used Citrix, I can't say for sure, but I'll venture a
guess that the Citrix RDP client works much like others, in that it
creates local windows and controls controlled by the remote server,
instead of serving up all remote screen data like VNC does. The
VNC server on the Citrix-connected remote desktop could very well
be modified to snoop on the Citrix RDP data stream, but since that
data could at best only show what your friend sees in the Citrix
RDP client (i.e., the remote desktop), it wouldn't buy them
anything. The Citrix RDP client is proprietary, and I think it
unlikely that her employer would be willing to pay for a modified
version that could snoop her desktop (or even that Citrix would be
willing to do so). Besides the probable high price of any such
modification, it's even more unlikely that Citrix would be willing
to keep upgrading the customized version along with the standard
one. I have been in that situation before; the vendor modified
their OS for us, but refused to keep it current, which meant that
the machine on which it ran soon became a dinosaur. We were
willing to accept that because of our special circumstances, but
very few software customers would be willing to pay that price.

HTH!

Thx, Phil Long

--------------------------------------------------------

Goss ... Innovation for Business

NOTICE: This e-mail and any attachment(s) may contain confidential and proprietary information of Goss International Corporation and/or its subsidiaries and may be legally privileged. This e-mail is intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the addressee, dissemination, copying or other use of this e-mail or any of its content is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient please inform the sender immediately and destroy the e-mail and any copies. All liability for viruses is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender. No contract may be construed by this e-mail.