Author Topic: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released  (Read 46769 times)

Offline stormi

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New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« on: July 08, 2009, 04:33:26 PM »
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j5Xl8ruQxmd-Z9s0yQ96bBgNOacAD9996H7O0
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972890
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/972890.mspx

Quote
"Microsoft warns of serious computer security hole

By JORDAN ROBERTSON – 1 day ago

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Microsoft Corp. has taken the rare step of warning about a serious computer security vulnerability it hasn't fixed yet.

The vulnerability disclosed Monday affects Internet Explorer users whose computers run the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating software.

It can allow hackers to remotely take control of victims' machines. The victims don't need to do anything to get infected except visit a Web site that's been hacked.

Security experts say criminals have been attacking the vulnerability for nearly a week. Thousands of sites have been hacked to serve up malicious software that exploits the vulnerability. People are drawn to these sites by clicking a link in spam e-mail.

The so-called "zero day" vulnerability disclosed by Microsoft affects a part of its software used to play video. The problem arises from the way the software interacts with Internet Explorer, which opens a hole for hackers to tunnel into."


K,.. ladies and gents, What this means is:

If you're using IE6 or IE7 on your XP or windows server 2003 (of course you shouldn't be surfing on a server...) or older computer, and by extension this will affect Outlook and Outlook Express, You ARE vulnerable. Microsoft does not have a current fix for this vulnerability.  Windows Updates will NOT save your hide at this point.  They have a workaround only.

Please, as always, be careful what you click on in email. 

Make sure that you know who sent you the link to a video, or what have you, and that you know where it is that you're being lead to. 

Hint: In email, and on the web, you may see a link that reads that it's going to www.youtube.com/someawesomevideohere, but before you click on it, hover over it without clicking, look at the bottom left hand part of the screen, it should show you the same link. 

More often than not, the link at the bottom of the screen, if the email is malicious, will say something like: www.I'mabadperson.com/Iwillmessyourcomputerup.asp 

(of course the links provided here are fictitious to the best of my knowledge, please don't try to use them.)

As far as I'm aware at this moment: firefox, opera, Google Chrome, et al are not affected.  Nor is Thunderbird as an email program.

As many of you are aware, I'm not a Microsoft supporter, so take the following with a grain of salt:

Please consider switching to a safer webbrowser and email client.

In theory, IE8 is not vulnerable to this attack,  but it is not being highly recommended on the internet.  It is for all intents and purposes, still beta software.  Meaning that Microsoft, in their typical manner of software development, has asked you, the user to do their bug testing. 


Don't get me wrong.  Vulnerabilities are found in firefox and opera as well, as well as the Linux operating system that I try to use on most of my machines, but they are patched on average faster, and more thoroughly than Microsoft patches their software.

Microsoft released the warning because they were forced to.  They were aware of this vulnerability for some time, and were unable to fix it quickly.  Once this issue became exploitable (i.e. someone managed to write a program to exploit it) and was released to the Internet, they -had- to say something.  It's bad for business to stick your head in the sand and leave it there once people can prove that you knew, and that you chose not to say anything.
stormi

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Offline txbanditrydr

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2009, 05:34:10 PM »
 :clap: :clap: :clap:

Thanks for sorting out the specifics as to affected platforms.  Now... doing the "workaround" or disabling things - what does that do?? - or not??

Thanks again...
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Offline stormi

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2009, 05:56:13 PM »
According to the technet article, it won't reduce functionality, as long as the video content isn't meant to be played in internet explorer. (i.e. it's opened up in Quicktime/realplayer/Windows Media Player, etc.)

In theory, what the workaround will do is stop that sort of content (video served to you via an activeX control) from being able to be run in Internet Explorer.  I'm not sure how that will -not- reduce functionality, personally.

This shouldn't affect videos like youtube, google, etc which are flash videos, not activeX,... I'm not sure which sites -will- be affected though,...

I haven't seen this particular exploit in person yet, so I haven't a lot of information to share other than what I've read, and my interpretation of it.

What I do know is that MS' treatment of the issue, and the nature of the exploit bears mentioning.
stormi

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Offline Sven

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2009, 09:05:07 PM »
In theory, IE8 is not vulnerable to this attack,  but it is not being highly recommended on the internet.  It is for all intents and purposes, still beta software.  Meaning that Microsoft, in their typical manner of software development, has asked you, the user to do their bug testing. 

IE8 is in final form and has been for some time.  I have Safari, IE, Chrome and Firefox, and overall, I still find IE my favorite to use.  I am using the 64-bit IE8 and the main problem is that there is no 64-bit Adobe Flash!  Suddenly, I have become aware how many websites use Flash for no apparent reason.  Others use Flash to some effect, but the gain is not enough to make it worthwhile.
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Offline stormi

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2009, 09:20:41 PM »

Hey Sven, how ya doin?

The difference is, what most technicians call release ready and what MS calls release ready are 2 different things.  Yes, IE8 has been available for mass download for some time.  Yes, IE8 is even being "given" to people via Windows Updates.  I still don't believe it's ready. 

That's the reason most of us don't use the 64 bit versions of XP and Vista.  Too many software "incompatibilities".  Not enough software has been written for the platform yet. 
stormi

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Offline Sven

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2009, 01:02:48 AM »
That's the reason most of us don't use the 64 bit versions of XP and Vista.  Too many software "incompatibilities".  Not enough software has been written for the platform yet. 

I only had two apps that didn't work on 64-bit:  FTWO and Quicken Medical Expense.
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Offline stormi

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #6 on: July 09, 2009, 01:19:24 AM »
plus flash :wink:

A lot of the tools I use as a tech are "iffy" at best.  That said, I'm sure that some of my tools can use some updating.

Of course a lot of my tools work better than the newer versions.  :annoy:

stormi

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Offline Sven

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #7 on: July 09, 2009, 08:05:15 AM »
plus flash :wink:

Just in case anyone is curious, you don't have to use the 64-bit version of IE just because you are using the 64-bit version of Vista.  Most the well=priced notebooks at Costco and Sam's are running 64-bit Vista, and most the mainstream apps (Office, Quicken, Photoshop, etc.) are perform fine on the platform.
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Offline stormi

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Re: New Internet Explorer Security Exploit released
« Reply #8 on: July 09, 2009, 04:51:16 PM »
This is true.  A lot of the laptops I'm seeing here are vista 32bit, but there are 64bit ones available.  There is a 32 bit compatibility mode.  I've played a little with the windows 64bit OS', and they seem to function fairly well, but some of the 32bit apps run a bit slower than they would on a native 32bit platform.  In some cases, you might not even notice, if the specs of the machine are a fair bit faster than the machine you're moving from.

That said, down the road, in theory, there should be more apps for 64bit than 32bit, so it's not a bad thing, in theory, to take a small performance hit now, for the gain in the future.  Hopefully, the future isn't too far away. 

For the record, Linux's 64bit OS is about the same at this point.  Some stuff runs, some doesn't, some runs slower than it should, some runs faster than expected.
stormi

Dita - 91 Bandit 400 - SOLD
Blue - 02 Hornet 919 - Perfect Gentleman
02 KTM 200 EXC - Sold
08 VFR800 - Lowered 1.2"
17 KTM RC390
17 Husky TC85 converted to 105

Electrosport Charging System Test - it really works