IE bug could open the gates for hackers

[Victor von Steiner]

A newly discovered bug in Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser could let malicious hackers read the e-mail and computer files of some unsuspecting people.

Bug tracker Georgi Guninski said the exploit is activated when a surfer using Internet Explorer 5 loads a malicious Web page. The surfer's network also must be running Microsoft's Exchange 2000 server for the bug to show up.

The bug lists the directories of some servers the Web surfer can access, which could enable viewing of the person's e-mails or folders if they are stored on a Microsoft Exchange 2000 server. The malicious hacker would have to know some of the Web surfer's usernames.

Guninski has rated the bug's risk as "high," and he said people can alleviate the problem by disabling Active Scripting, a browser setting that offers enhanced functions but has been repeatedly associated with potential security risks.

Microsoft said it is still investigating the finding and has been in touch with Guninski. In a message posted on Guninski's site from Microsoft's Security Response Center, the company asked him for a further explanation of the bug "so you are not just scaring people." The message also said that "visiting malicious Web sites is not a real exploit scenario."

A company representative said the company would come out with any necessary fix or workaround "as quickly as possible."

The software giant has come under fire in recent years for allegedly valuing interoperability between its products over security. In its quest to provide many pieces of software that interact with each other, some security experts say the company has been lax in addressing possible holes that could allow malicious hacker exploits.

Most notably, Microsoft's Outlook messaging software, which is used by millions of people throughout the world, played a key role in the rapid spread of viruses including I Love You and Melissa.


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Vampire Lord

I am your Lord.
I dine on the Best.
So come, give me your BLOOD!

[Waluin]

Also in the news, I hear that the ruling to split Microsoft up into separate companies was overturned.

:: sigh ::

[Yorick]

Thanks for the info guys.

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I am the walrus!.... er, no hang on....

A fair dinkum laughing Hyena!

Internet Explorer has been a gateway for hacker's into your system for as long as it has existed.
I delete the Iexplore.exe file, and all shortcuts to it, from my hard drive since Windows has made the program uninstallable.

Moni

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[Victor von Steiner]

Well here is another problem with Hackers.

By CNET News.com Staff
June 29, 2001, 12:10 p.m. PT

LONDON--Networking hardware maker Cisco Systems and the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) Coordination Center have warned of a bug in Cisco routers that could allow hackers to disrupt Internet traffic or intercept sensitive information.

The bug, revealed Thursday, allows an attacker to gain control of any Cisco router running certain operating software. Routers are devices that control how data moves around the Internet. Malicious attackers could stop Internet traffic, intercept information such as passwords and credit card numbers, or redirect traffic from Web sites.

The vulnerability allows a person to take control of the router without authorization. It affects "virtually all" mainstream Cisco routers and switches running Cisco's proprietary operating software, known as IOS.

"This access allows a remote attacker to inspect or change the configuration of the device, effectively allowing complete control," Internet security watchdog CERT wrote in an advisory Thursday.

Cisco said the vulnerability is caused by a flaw in the Web-server embedded in its routers that allow administrators to remotely control the devices via the Internet. As a result, it is possible to bypass authentication and exercise complete control over the router. The vulnerability requires little skill to exploit: an attacker can simply send a crafted URL, and commands will be executed on the router.

Cisco is recommending that these internal Web servers be disabled. The company is providing a software upgrade and a "workaround" to fix the problem, which will be available on its Web site.

Cisco said it has not had any reports of the bug being exploited. The bug originally was reported by independent consumers.

"We've had no reports by customers of active exploitation of these vulnerabilities," a Cisco spokeswoman confirmed in an e-mail interview. "The vulnerabilities have been or are in the process of being fixed, and the security advisories are being shared with customers."

Staff writer Matthew Broersma reported from London.


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Vampire Lord

I am your Lord.
I dine on the Best.
So come, give me your BLOOD!

[RudeDawg]

Interesting, and Important stuff.

Thanks for posting it.


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The RudeDawg, known in these Forgotten Realms as Perin LightEyes
"Let them come, Let them ALL come."
-"Ender says, 'The enemy is down.' "

[Victor von Steiner]

Here is another pontental problem.

By Robert Lemos
ZDNet News
July 3, 2001 2:58 PM PT

Apple has never had much trouble grabbing attention for its Macintosh operating system. This time, however, it may be attracting the wrong kind.
The rising popularity of the current Mac OS X and the new operating system's foundation in the ubiquitous Unix operating system have started to draw the scrutiny of hackers and security experts. The result: Electronic mailing lists dedicated to security are seeing the first reports of Mac OS X vulnerabilities.

The vulnerabilities are considered mild, partly due to Apple's focus on desktop PCs and minimal presence in servers and other Internet infrastructure. But that could change as hackers get more ambitious and Apple tries to move into new markets.

"It's a pretty cool operating system, and it has a lot of exposure," said Dan Ingevaldson, technical product manager with network protection service provider Internet Security Systems. "Anytime anything new comes out, there's a lot of security research done on it."

In early April, a buffer overflow was found in a program known as "sudo," used by system administrators to allow users to run restricted applications. The flaw affected both the FreeBSD version of Unix, which forms the core components of Apple's operating system, and by extension, Mac OS X.

And last week, several people reported that beta testers who upgraded Mac OS X to the latest version likely have improper access permissions set on their desktops, allowing any user to change the appearance of any other user's desktop.

As far as vulnerabilities go, the latest misstep is minor, said a hacker and security expert who uses the handle "shrdlu" and confirmed the problem last week.

"Beta users should be alert enough to notice these things anyway," he said in an e-mail interview, adding that the flaw "is not a problem for the vast majority of users unless they are running (Mac OS X) as a server with multiple users."

While only a handful of security flaws have been found in OS X, it's clear that more attention is being paid to the operating system, said Robert Watson, research scientist at security software maker Network Associates. Watson also heads off security woes for FreeBSD in his volunteer role as a core team member of the FreeBSD project.

"As Apple relies on a more common code base, there will be increased scrutiny and increased interest by the less desirable members of the Internet security community," he said.

That attention will only increase if Apple can bootstrap its share of the server market from a fraction of a percent into a significant portion.

Apple seems to be aware of its potentially precarious situation. While the company's Web site doesn't have extensive security resources, the company has formed a team to combat security vulnerabilities.

"Apple always take security seriously," said Bill Evans, spokesman for the Cupertino, Calif., company.

As evidence of Apple's security awareness, supporters note that while Microsoft and many Linux companies have only recently begun turning off unnecessary services--such as file transfer and the Web server--that could leave a computer vulnerable, Apple installs the Mac OS X with such services turned off by default.

FreeBSD's Watson agrees. He and others in the FreeBSD core team have frequent conversations with Apple over security, he said. "At this point, they are still developing their whole approach to OS X," he said. "I think this is an area where they are still evolving their policy."

Don't expect an overnight plan of action, though, said ISS's Ingevaldson.

"Security is not going to push their product," he said. "Cost and functionality are the drivers for an OS."

"In the past Sun, IBM and HP didn't push security from the very beginning; it is something that evolved," Ingevaldson said. "I think (Apple) will follow the same model


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Vampire Lord

I am your Lord.
I dine on the Best.
So come, give me your BLOOD!