Basic question about sockets and security

Hi all,
I'm just starting out in sockets/network programming, and I have a very
basic question...what are the 'security' implications of opening up a
socket? For example, suppose I've written a simple chat server and chat
client. The server opens a socket, listens on a port, and accepts incoming
connections. The clients open a socket and connect to the server. If the
server receives a message from a client, it sends that message out to every
client. When a client receives a message, it places it in a text widget.
So...are there inherent dangers in doing this? I have no real security
concern in the actual application, but can an open socket somehow allow
someone access to the rest of the computer? Is the 'security' of the socket
handled at the OS level (or within the socket module)?
I realize this isn't necessarily a Python question, but I wrote my
application in Python and I'm not sure where to start. I'll repost this
elsewhere if someone points me towards a more relevant group.
Thanks,
Dave


.

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