'Critical' IE bug threatens PC users

theregister.co.uk ^ | Monday 27th March 2006 09:14 GMT | Ciara O'Brien, ElectricNews.net

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

A dangerous new exploit in Internet Explorer could put PCs and data at risk, Microsoft has admitted.

The flaw, for which code has already been published on the internet, could be exploited to set an email-borne virus free on the unsuspecting public.

Potential viruses could come as an attachment that conceals the code, or could possibly redirect users to a site that will unleash the code on the user's machine, leaving the computer open to remote attack. Once the PC is being controlled by a malicious user, it can then be used to launch attacks on other PCs.

Even supposedly fully patched versions of Internet Explorer 6 are vulnerable to the flaw, it seems, as are users with XP Service Pack 2.

However, Microsoft has no plans to patch it until its next security update is released. This is despite some security companies rating it as a high level threat.

In a security advisory on its website, Microsoft outlined the threat: "We have seen examples of proof of concept code but we are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time.

"Microsoft has determined that an attacker who exploits this vulnerability would have no way to force users to visit a malicious website."

Instead, it has warned users of its browser products to be careful when opening email attachments and to avoid untrusted websites. It has also recommended that users disable Active Scripting in their browser in an attempt to reduce their exposure to attack.

The other option is to choose an alternative browser, such as Firefox or Opera. However, even these browsers are not as safe from attack as they were once considered.

Firefox has been subject to a number of flaws over the past year, including one that could leave its users more vulnerable to phishing scams. Meanwhile, a report published in September by Symantec rated Internet Explorer as safer than Firefox. The report found some 25 flaws in Mozilla's Firefox internet browser, almost double the number it discovered in IE.

However, it has been a tough week for Microsoft - this is the third security flaw it has had to investigate in the past seven days. On Tuesday, it admitted it was looking into a security flaw that could leave Windows PCs open to remote control, while earlier in the week it also alerted users to a vulnerability that could cause the Internet Explorer browser to crash.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

More:

**********************************

Update: Microsoft tests fix for IE bug as exploits appear
It aims to add patch on or before its April 11 security update

****************************************************************

News Story by Nancy Gohring

MARCH 27, 2006 - A recently identified security hole in the Internet Explorer browser is being exploited, and Microsoft Corp. hopes to include a fix for it in its April 11 patch or possibly sooner, according to a posting on a Microsoft blog.

So far, attacks are limited in scope, Stephen Toulouse, head of Microsoft's Security Response Center, wrote on the center's blog Saturday. Today, however, Web security company Websense Inc. said it has found hundreds of sites taking advantage of the weakness and that the number of such sites is rapidly growing.

The vulnerability, which was first identified last week, allows hackers to entice Web surfers to visit Web sites where malicious code can be automatically run on the visitor's computer (see "Exploit now publicly available for unpatched IE flaw"). It exploits a vulnerability in the way that IE renders HTML and affects Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, Toulouse said. Users of IE 7 Beta 2, the most recent version of IE, won't be affected by the bug, Microsoft said.

"We're working day and night on development of a cumulative security update for Internet Explorer that addresses the vulnerability," Toulouse wrote. The update is being tested and is expected to be released as part of Microsoft's monthly security update, which is scheduled for April 11, he said. However, Microsoft could release the fix earlier if the threat grows, he said.

The Web sites found by Websense download different types of malicious code, including back doors and Trojan horses, onto Web surfers' machines. Back doors bypass regular authentication requirements, enabling unauthorized access to computers, and Trojan horses are malicious programs disguised as legitimate applications.

Microsoft is working with industry partners and law enforcement to remove Web sites that are exploiting the vulnerability, Toulouse said.

Web surfers can avoid the attack by turning off Active Scripting, Microsoft said.

The vulnerability is the third such IE bug to surface within the past two weeks and is considered the most serious because it is relatively easy to exploit.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Attacks now underway according to this PC Mag article:

IE Under Attack: Microsoft Ponders Emergency Patch

[Graybeard58]

Instead, it has warned users of its browser products to be careful when opening email attachments and to avoid untrusted websites

Does anybody in the whole world not know this?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think there are many that are not well versed in the art of avoiding trouble on the internet!

[ShadowAce]

[spankalib]

Ok, I wonder if I could have been (hacked/exposed/whatever?) because when I got back to my work computer after this weekend, it now has the "about blank" browser-redirector on it.

I have no earthly .....how this happened...BUT, alot of my work involves email attaching (sending, mainly....NOT opening).

Might any kindly freepers help? Thank you in advance!

[zeugma]

Meanwhile, a report published in September by Symantec rated Internet Explorer as safer than Firefox.

In what alternate universe are they living in?

[zeugma]

What browser are you using?

[spankalib]

IE

[spankalib]

apparently, I'm close to "licking toads"? LOL

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Have you got anti-spyware stuff installed?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So do you use Outlook for working with the e-mail?

Do you have a firewall , either hardware or software installed? My questions here are real basic, others here are much more knowledgeable about windows stuff.

Searching freerepubli9c for spyware will get you many threads with discussion although this might be a good one to start on:

Free website to list programs with spyware

backhoe always has some good suggestions.

[spankalib]

Yes, Adaware & Spybot don't detect it, even a registered version of Webroot Spysweeper failed to detect it. AVG? nope. Panda & Housecall, the online scans, do not detect it.
Seems like I've got to do it manually, I think, via Hijack This!, but am leery of messin w/ da registry!
As an aside, many "free spyware scans" detect it....like "Spyware Doctor" BUT....yep, you already know what I'm gonna say, right? (thay want $$ to get rid of it). Sigh.
I'm going to try bit defender.....will let you know.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Another resource from that thread:

Spyware Warrior.com

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OK, so I see you are not a newbie to dealing with the crap.

Not sure I'll be of much help.

[zeugma]

apparently, I'm close to "licking toads"? LOL

Well, if it works for you :-)

Sorry, but I can't help you with IE issues. 

On the bright side, "about:blank" is probably the least offensive webpage you could have been redirected to! 

[ShadowAce]

From what I've read on this thread, it sounds like HiJack This! should work. Rather than a virus or spyware, your registry has been hijacked. That's probably why none of the normal programs are finding it.

Let us know how bit defender works and if you try Hijack This as well. I'm curious.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Direct link to spywarrior.com, :

Spyware Warrior

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This site ranks bit-defender very high:

Anti-Virus Software Reviews 2006

[Tribune7]

You have been infected and I suspect your browser is now downloading all sorts of nasty stuff.

Since it's your work computer tell your company's tech guy you got a virus. Make sure you backup your important files.

[spankalib]

Thanks to earnest and zeguma, also. Ok, Bit Defender did not detect it..... I will go to the links posted, and report back.

[spankalib]

tell your company's tech guy

Thank you for making me laff out loud!

(I'm what passes for the....yep....'tech guy'....company's not big enuf .....yet?, yeah...that's the ticket!)

[Tribune7]

Bummer.

I was in a similar situation. I fixed it but it was a real b*tch.

I used a combination of Adaware and NAV and got very lucky. If I could have found the disk that came with the computer I would have just wiped the HD and reinstalled, and that would have been a lot less aggravating.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Can you do what you need to do with Firefox and thunderbird?

[Tribune7]

I was thinking about how I fixed my problem. The adaware & NAV would not clean the apps but would name them & I would delete them manually. IIRC, I also used clt-alt-del to tell me what apps were running & deleted some of those I thought suspicious.

Obviously be careful and I was taking a chance since I didn't know for sure what I was doing. Of course, I was ready to do a reinstall anyway so it would have been no huge loss.

Whatever you do make sure you are disconnected from the Internet while cleaning.

[Turbopilot]

HijackThis is an advanced tool; if you run a scan with it and aren't sure what each item means, it's probably better to have someone else look at the log. Run a scan and have it save a log, then post it to your favorite tech website or send it to your personal/company tech person and have them give a recommendation. If you don't have anyone, you can FRmail me the log and I'll give it a once-over.

On the plus side, almost all spyware infections can be removed with various free tools, once you know which tools to use. HijackThis can find traces to most anything malicious that will let you (or your expert) know which removal tools you should run.

[spankalib]

Difficult to answer, dt not ever having used those....sorry, but, you are kind to offer help, sir!

[spankalib]

Thank you THANK YOU!

OK, from the link, I recognized "Avast" as a workable free program, and don't remember it trying to charge for baddie removal, as long as it could find it, eh? So I dwnld it, and it seems to have worked...shew!

Turbo, yes indeed I realize that Hijack this is an advanced weapon, and do not mess with the registry, unless a nice person such as yourself can help. One thing I tried to do was boot in safe mode by hitting F8 as it was starting, but, all I got was a strnge DOS screen that had nothing to do with Safe Mode.....hmmmm.
But from what I have read, it seems the thing to do is dwnld HJT, then run a scan while in safe mode....tell you what, I'll see if I can "print screen", or at least describe what I see when I hit F8 while it's starting, and I'll get HJT, and let you know. Thanks so much, very kind of you sir!

[spankalib]

Nope! Avast! didn't do it....but I'll be darned if I know what it is, as I can't see anything on the HJT log. Still get "about blank" when I click explorer. Will send log to you.

Also figured out how to get to safe mode if I need to do a HJT scan in that....

[ShadowAce]

Still get "about blank" when I click explorer.

OK, this may very well be a dumb question, but I think I need to eliminate one possibility from my mind to keep from thinking about it.

Did you restore your home page in the options back to your preferred page after you noticed the change?

You may have said so, but I missed it.

[spankalib]

Bit defender didn't catch it. Another Freeper is helping with the HJT log ...will report back. Nothing so far has caught it, or removed it. Thing that bugs me just as much as it being there in the first place is....how'd the blang thing get there?

[spankalib]

He He good one! no I didn't miss it...but you know what? (that's be just like me) :)

[backhoe]

"Yes, Adaware & Spybot don't detect it, even a registered version of Webroot Spysweeper failed to detect it. AVG? nope. Panda & Housecall, the online scans, do not detect it.
Seems like I've got to do it manually, I think, via Hijack This!, but am leery of messin w/ da registry!
As an aside, many "free spyware scans" detect it....like "Spyware Doctor" BUT....yep, you already know what I'm gonna say, right? (thay want $$ to get rid of it). Sigh.
I'm going to try bit defender.....will let you know."

---

I see you are not inexperienced, and have tried some things I would have suggested.

Other online scans ( which are being used more & more on the malware forums ) are:

http://www.ewido.net/en/download/

http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner

I see you are trying HJT, with guidance. Good- it's Brain Salad Surgery, so be careful.

Other good forums ( you have to join, post a HJT log, and wait, wait, wait, are:

http://forums.spywareinfo.com/index.php?b=1

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?s=4b224f07b3e0d797d7cdac5dfe673b2b&showforum=37


The following is "for informational purposes only"-- don't act on it without thinking it over.

It can be faster to fdisk, reformat, and reinstall everything, if you have backups of critical data files. Rooting that garbage out can take days or weeks.

An unwelcome thought occurred- you say HJT hasn't seen anything? ( And it's hard to tell, sometimes, so much data ) Could you have a rootkit problem?

[spankalib]

Thanks, backhoe...hey Brain Salad Surgery...wasn't that an Emerson Lake & Palmer album/song?

Tried ewido...didn't catch it. will check out the links and report back. Thanks!

[spankalib]

rut roh...If there's a rootkit problem....that is way over my payscale....

Have no idea what would cause that....have no idea what a rootkit even is...sheesh....sorry....

one thing, though...the HJT log wasn't that awful long, really.....this is actually kindof a baby 'puter w/o much 'data' (yet). I hate saying that though, 'cause I know your gonna say...."then wipe it Jim!"

[backhoe]

Thanks, backhoe...hey Brain Salad Surgery...wasn't that an Emerson Lake & Palmer album/song?

Gawd Almighty, my age is telling- I had every album ( LP's, Altec speakers, MacIntosh amp ) they pressed, and I think you're right... or am I remembering the lines from "Right Place, Wrong Line?" Dr. John?

Back to your problem, the forums are probably your best bet. My adventures nuking the about-blank hijacker are here:

-Hijacked! New Browser Exploits Plague Web--

and among my typical "million links" is "The Brute Force Removal Method"-- but I really don't recommend that except as a last resort.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for dropping by....guess I'll look at that link.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Looking at post 94, all I can think of is a root canal,....damn I hate a root canal ....hurts like hell!!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

There is no reason earth to put up with this garbage that Windows drags in....

I think I can do everything I need to do on the internet with Linux....

[spankalib]

hoo boy...that post 94....look, it's 6:45 PM....I'm hungry, and I have no idea what you did!

But you're a hero, nonetheless.

(I really liked Greg Lake's work on the original King Crimson....)

To the great Freeper community....Thank you. I'll be back tomorrow to try to slay this blingin dragon.

[Salo]

You might wish to disable your system restore when doing this sort of thing: it often restores the crap you remove (like viruses and spyware). So you cure yourself, reboot and restore puts it right back for you.

[spankalib]

Good idea!....might work....but will I lose my work...(in the form of word documents, mainly) that I have saved to a folder on the desktop?

Might be a real stupid question, but I've never used system restore....THANKS!

[Salo]

No - sys restore creates a restore point to go back to - nothing to do with data. If you feel uncomfortable, do a back up (which you should be doing anyway). I smoke all of my stuff to DVD and my ipod frequently just in case something happens.