Click here to become infected (Part 2)

March 8, 2008 – 3:43 PM

New spam emails can turn vulnerable PCs into spam-spreading ‘zombies’.

The spam has a link which purports to allow users to opt out of future emails. However, MessageLabs, an e-mail filtering company, warns that these links are part of a scam and, if clicked on, will turn a victim’s PC into a conduit for the distribution of further spam. The bug uses a drag-and-drop JavaScript exploit in Internet Explorer to download a nasty .EXE file.

Messagelabs, which issued a similar warning about the problem more than a week ago, said today that it is still analysing the .EXE file, which is hosted on a suspicious website, but says users should know that the spammers behind the scam could change to a new site at any time by uploading a new Trojan. The site initially implicated in the spam was www. xcelent.biz (space inserted intentionally), which is no longer available.

“Users should already know that it is never a good idea to press the ‘click here to remove’ link on spam emails as it confirms to spammers that the email address is real,” said Alex Shipp, MessageLabs’ senior anti-virus technologist.

“This latest spam attack, however, presents a double whammy: it not only opens up the floodgates to endless amounts of spam as the address is sold to other spammers, but it allows a compromised machine to be used to host their next spam run, while spammers are busy in the background stealing confidential data.”

Indeed, the firm warns that users on infected PCs could have their passwords or other confidential information stolen.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/10/05/messagelabs_spam_warning/

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Spyware and adware rogues’ gallery

March 8, 2008 – 3:42 PM

The ranks of spyware and adware expand daily, but some take root more often than others. Here are six of the usual suspects.

These spyware and adware mischief-makers have taken root on more than their share of hard disks. Symptoms include performance and compatibility problems, not to mention continuous pop-up invasions.

1: Name: CoolWebSearch

Aliases: CWS

Actions: CWS has more than three dozen variants, with new variants being released almost weekly. Typically, CWS blocks access to popular search engines and redirects users to coolwebsearch.com or other off-brand search sites. Entering incorrect or incomplete URLs results in users getting redirected to adult sites or obscure search sites. It adds links — often to hardcore pornography sites — to browser favorites/bookmarks menus. It also pops up ads — again often for hardcore sites — and changes default start pages to adulthyperlinks.com, allhyperlinks.com, or other ad-heavy directories or adult sites.

Security issues: CWS program code is remotely updated, apparently from a server in Russia. Some variants add CWS? servers to Internet Explorer?s Trusted Sites list, enabling program code — not limited to CWS code — to be installed or altered without permission. Some variants collect and transmit personally identifiable information back to CWS servers.

Other issues: CWS severely impacts infected computer?s performance. Software may freeze or crash, especially Internet Explorer. IE performance is noticeably slowed, particularly page scrolling. Microsoft tech support has had reports of computers locking up, crashing, and rebooting repeatedly due to CWS issues.

Transmission method: More than 1,000 domains are known to be affiliates of CWS. Affiliates get paid per referral/click-through to coolwebsearch.com. Users visiting any one of the affiliate sites may install CWS software by careless clicking on a pop-up or other ad. CWS has apparently been installed without user knowledge or permission via unpatched IE security holes.

2: Name: Xupiter

Aliases: OrbitExplorer(latest Xupiter variant)

Actions: Xupiter launches pop-up ads, changes default home pages, redirects mistyped or incomplete URLs to affiliate sites, redirects search requests to off-brand search sites, and adds Xupiter links to bookmarks/favorites. Xupiter blocks any attempts to restore the original browser settings or to delete Xupiter favorites.

Security issues: Xupiter?s privacy policy notes that Xupiter — or its partners — may deliver programming fixes, updates, and upgrades via automatic updates. ?Users? are also advised that conflicts may occur with other applications and that Xupiter will determine what those applications are so that the company can resolve these conflicts whenever possible. Several versions of Xupiter appear to download other programs such as gambling games onto affected computers.

Other issues: Technical support representatives at Microsoft?s help center say Xupiter has odd effects on Windows XP, making it impossible for some users to open directories such as My Computer on infected computers.

Transmission method: Xupiter is installed via an Internet Explorer toolbar program. Some users claim toolbar was installed without their permission on unpatched versions of IE. Toolbar may be downloaded via Web sites, links in spam advertising a ?Free Christian Toolbar? or a pop-up blocker program, or via links in pop-up ads.

3: Name: Gator Advertising Information Network (GAIN)

Alias: Gator

Actions: Gator overlays ads onto Web pages, tracks what Web sites are visited by users, transmits information about products and services users are interested in, and monitors response to Gator-produced ads. This information is made available to advertisers.

Security issues: According to its privacy policy, Gator transmits information on system settings and configuration information — software installed on the computer, and more — as well as first name, country, city, five-digit ZIP code/postal code, and ?non-personally identifiable information? entered into Web page forms, such as the first four digits of credit card numbers, which identifies the issuing bank but not the cardholder. Gator also auto-installs and/or updates other software components, such as rich media player applications, browser plug-ins, virtual machines, and run-time environments.

Other issues: Gator distributor Claria insists Gator is not spyware and has been involved in several court cases in attempts to prove this claim. Users report computers with Gator exhibit slowed performance and/or software crashes.

Transmission method: The Gator Advertising Information Network offers half a dozen applications that contain Gator, such as a desktop weather forecast program, a calendar, a computer clock synchronization program, the ?Gator e-wallet,? and a program called Websecure Alert, which Gator documentation says ?helps to protect your browser security by monitoring for unauthorized tampering with Internet Explorer?s security settings, and can help to protect your privacy by deleting your web surfing history on a regular basis.?

4: Name: Live Online Portal (LOP)

Aliases: C2

Actions: This family of spyware applications reset user?s default start and search pages to lop.com or one of 200 Live Online Portal (LOP) affiliates such as ifiz.com, iguu.com, samz.com, sckr.com, scrk.com, and sfux.com. LOP resets start and search pages back to lop.com if user attempts to change them, adds shortcuts to advertisers? sites on desktop and links in favorites/bookmarks, and adds new IE toolbar called Accessories, with yet more advertising links.

Security issues: LOP can download and execute arbitrary code from its server.

Other issues: Overall performance is slowed. Mobile users may get frequent dial-up connection requests if their computers are not online when LOP wants to perform some action. Computers may freeze for a few minutes after these connection requests are refused by user. LOP program may demand answers to series of riddles before allowing itself to be manually uninstalled. LOP program may demand answers to series of riddles before allowing itself to be manually uninstalled.

Transmission method: LOP?s most infamous installation method is to create pop-up loops (pop-ups opening pop-ups) featuring ads for MP3 search and download tools. One false or frustrated click in the midst of the pop-up plethora and the machine is infected. LOP has also been bundled as a legitimate music/software download search tool with various freeware software offerings.

5: Name: Cydoor

Aliases: None

Actions: Cydoor produces the usual complement of pop-up ads and many pop-under ads.

Security issues: No security issues are known with recent versions of the software. Program seems to confine its connections with the mothership to updating ad cache, not programming code. Little if any personal information not directly supplied by user is captured. The most recent versions of Cydoor are nearing the point where they can no longer quite be considered spyware.

Other issues: Users do not have to be online to view Cydoor-produced ads. Program pulls ads from cache (c:WindowsSystemadcache) within affected computers. Cache is updated each time user goes online. Anti-spyware vendor PestPatrol reports numerous complaints of Cydoor causing system errors in Windows XP.

Transmission method: Cydoor is widely distributed as a component of p-to-p programs, some freeware games, and other applications. Not offered as a stand-alone download.

6: Name: Look2Me

Aliases: AllAboutSearch.com

Actions: Look2Me primarily displays pop-up advertising for clients. Pop-ups — some full-window size — can appear on screen every minute or so. Look2Me also installs shortcuts on desktops and changes default browser settings. Some users of infected machines report that applications linked to shortcuts have been installed without permission. But tests of Look2Me on patched Windows 2000 and XP systems did not exhibit any capability of self-installing programs.

Security issues: Look2Me monitors Web sites visited and then submits this information to its home server. Look2Me auto-updates its code, and program components could run arbitrary code during this procedure.

Other issues: No significant performance issues have been noted, besides users being pelted with pop-up ads. IE may slow down. Look2Me will not show up as a running process or application as it tightly integrates itself with Internet Explorer, making it difficult to monitor and manage its activity.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/10/01/40FEspywarebeasts_1.html

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Scanner Tool Released To Thwart JPEG Attack

March 8, 2008 – 3:39 PM

With security experts predicting a large-scale worm attack is only a matter of days away, Microsoft has released a scanning tool to help users identify vulnerable versions of the GDI libraries that handle JPEG processing.

The Microsoft GDI+ Detection Tool (available for download here) helps detect the presence of non-Windows Microsoft products that contain the GDI+ component and determines whether a security fix should be applied.

The scanning tool was released along with the MS04-028 patch, which plugs a “critical” flaw in the way JPEG image files are processed.

The Internet Storm Center (ISC) has also issued a scanner (download here) for non-Windows users.

“Several non-Microsoft programs include versions of GDI libraries, which are vulnerable to exploitation. Using this tool, you can identify programs which may be vulnerable, and attempt to obtain updates from the software developer,” the center said.

The ISC said it is continuing to detect several exploits taking advantage of the JPEG GDI vulnerability and warned that a “rapid development of additional exploits” could be expected over the next few days.

The proof-of-concept exploits started circulating a mere eight days after Microsoft released a patch, confirming fears that malicious hackers are constantly reducing the time it takes to exploit known security holes.

Microsoft said it was aware of the circulating exploit code and was investigating the situation. A representative reiterated that customers should apply the MS04-028 patch as a matter of priority.

The exploit code detected by the ISC is capable of opening a command prompt on vulnerable machines, meaning that illegal hackers can potentially hijack an unpatched system and use it as a drone machine for a large-scale attack.

“If we are seeing exploits opening command prompts, something worse is on its way,” the center warned.

Anti-virus firm Trend Micro rates the risk as “high” and warned that a successful attack could allow a hacker to install or run programs and view or edit data with full privileges.

Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express users, particularly in enterprise settings, are urged to use plain text for reading e-mail messages that could contain a malformed JPEG image.

http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3412621

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Click here to become infected

March 8, 2008 – 3:39 PM

Users should be wary of pressing the ‘click here to remove’ link on spam messages because it serves to confirm to spammers that junk mail messages are being read. Such email addresses can be sold at a premium to other spammers.

That’s reason enough to simply delete spam messages, but a junk mail message doing the rounds today provides an even more compelling reason. Selecting the ‘click here to remove’ link on messages blocked by MessageLabs today triggers an attempt to load malicious code onto potentially vulnerable Windows PC.

MessageLabs is blocking spam linking to the domains www. xcelent.biz (space deliberately inserted) which, if users click on the remove link and scroll down the page triggers a DragDrop JavaScript exploit. This uses an IE bug to download and run an EXE file, currently been analysed by MessageLabs.

Alex Shipp of MessageLabs writes: “I have not finished analysing the EXE currently hosted (currently called windows-update.exe), but the spammers can change this at any time by uploading a new Trojan. Typically, your machine may be turned into an open proxy, have passwords extracted, and keyloggers installed.

“So not only do you confirm your email address to the spammers, you also get to host their next spam run, and get your bank account cleaned out,” he adds.

The US’s CAN-SPAM Act requires junk mailers to put an opt-out link on their wares. It comes as little surprise that this feature is been taken advantage of in a social engineering exploit; but it does illustrate the security problems of the opt-out approach that were always apparent to security experts – and ignored by legislators.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/22/opt-out_exploit/

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More big security holes in Linux

March 8, 2008 – 3:38 PM

Open-source developers have warned of serious security holes in two Linux components that could allow attackers to take over a system by tricking a user into viewing a specially crafted image file or opening an archive. Patches exist for the bugs, which affect LHA and imlib.

Imlib, a library for graphics-viewing applications used in the Gnome graphical user environment, contains a bug that could allow the execution of malicious code when a user views a specially crafted bit-map image file, according to Marcus Meissner of Novell Inc.’s Suse Linux. The vulnerability is due to a boundary error in the decoding of runlength-encoded bitmap images, which can be exploited to cause a buffer overflow, according to an advisory from Danish security firm Secunia, which maintains a vulnerabilities database.

Gentoo, MandrakeSoft SA and other Linux vendors have begun distributing fixes for the bug, and a patch is also available from the Gnome project. Imlib 1.x and imlib2 1.x are affected.

The vulnerability is related to last month’s BMP-decoding flaw in Qt, a software toolkit used in writing graphical user interface applications using the X Window system in Unix and Linux, Secunia said.

Linux vendor Red Hat Inc. warned of three security holes in LHA, an utility for compressing and decompressing LHarc-format archives. The bugs, affecting all versions up to and including 1.14, could allow the execution of malicious code if a user were tricked into extracting or testing a malicious archive or passing a specially crafted command line to the lha command. The third bug could allow an attacker to create a directory with shell meta characters in its name which could lead to arbitrary command execution.

Secunia noted that all three of the bugs could be avoided by staying away from untrusted archives. Patches are also available from Red Hat, Gentoo and others.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/09/09/HNmorelinuxholes_1.html

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