hard candy
05-31-2006, 05:59 PM
From "Hyperlink Insecurity":
"Cybercriminals continue to innovate new and diabolical methods for delivering their crimeware payloads. Recently, they've entered the Web application development business, where they're helping good people develop trusted Web sites that unwittingly deliver a nasty malicious software payload.
Last month, while conducting my ongoing crimeware research, I stumbled into a new Web site in the U.K. operated by a self-employed plasterer. The plasterer, apparently hoping to promote his business online, had recently created a Web site using--as many of us do--free Web development tools.
Unbeknownst to the plasterer, however, one of the freeware tools he downloaded, which allowed him to place a Web counter on his site, was now inadvertently exposing his visitors to malicious crimeware.
My analysis revealed that the free Web counter had hidden functions. When someone visited the plasterer's site, the Web counter accessed a Web server in Slovakia, which then grabbed a drive-by download from a server in Colorado, that was then silently installed onto the unsuspecting Web site visitor's computer.
Virus writers in the 1990s were like cybergraffiti artists--their goal was to wreak havoc by tagging as many people as possible. But by the late 1990s, shadier elements had realized the profit potential of adware and spyware. They, too, focused their efforts on infecting as many users as possible.
Today, this shady element has evolved into fully fledged organized cybercrime gangs that buy, sell and distribute exploits for profit. And unlike the early virus writers, who often sought to make the presence of their virus known, crimeware distributors are stealthier and more calculating in their attacks. "
Cnet Perspectives (http://news.com.com/Hyperlink+insecurity/2010-7348_3-6030719.html?tag=nl)
This particular exploit used the Windows Metafile vulnerability, but we need to be careful and realize when we cruise the web, we are exposing ourselves to all sorts of people- good and bad. I know I just assume everyone is on the up and up, but imagine how easy it for the criminal element. They do not need to expose themselves physically like most crimes require them to do, they have very little upfront costs, and the return is potentially very lucrative.
Credit card numbers, social security numbers, addresses of where expensive items.etc are delivered are all contained in our browser's cache/history.
If I broke into houses and wanted to know the best prospect's, I would pay to know who was a Newegg customer or a Dell customer that had made recent purchases. Or if I would love to know someone's video survellience camera web address. And even if I knew when someone would be at Disneyworld, that would help me target a house.
I guess the main thrust of this is that the Web is becoming just like the real world, you really need to take the same precautions to protect yourself.
"Cybercriminals continue to innovate new and diabolical methods for delivering their crimeware payloads. Recently, they've entered the Web application development business, where they're helping good people develop trusted Web sites that unwittingly deliver a nasty malicious software payload.
Last month, while conducting my ongoing crimeware research, I stumbled into a new Web site in the U.K. operated by a self-employed plasterer. The plasterer, apparently hoping to promote his business online, had recently created a Web site using--as many of us do--free Web development tools.
Unbeknownst to the plasterer, however, one of the freeware tools he downloaded, which allowed him to place a Web counter on his site, was now inadvertently exposing his visitors to malicious crimeware.
My analysis revealed that the free Web counter had hidden functions. When someone visited the plasterer's site, the Web counter accessed a Web server in Slovakia, which then grabbed a drive-by download from a server in Colorado, that was then silently installed onto the unsuspecting Web site visitor's computer.
Virus writers in the 1990s were like cybergraffiti artists--their goal was to wreak havoc by tagging as many people as possible. But by the late 1990s, shadier elements had realized the profit potential of adware and spyware. They, too, focused their efforts on infecting as many users as possible.
Today, this shady element has evolved into fully fledged organized cybercrime gangs that buy, sell and distribute exploits for profit. And unlike the early virus writers, who often sought to make the presence of their virus known, crimeware distributors are stealthier and more calculating in their attacks. "
Cnet Perspectives (http://news.com.com/Hyperlink+insecurity/2010-7348_3-6030719.html?tag=nl)
This particular exploit used the Windows Metafile vulnerability, but we need to be careful and realize when we cruise the web, we are exposing ourselves to all sorts of people- good and bad. I know I just assume everyone is on the up and up, but imagine how easy it for the criminal element. They do not need to expose themselves physically like most crimes require them to do, they have very little upfront costs, and the return is potentially very lucrative.
Credit card numbers, social security numbers, addresses of where expensive items.etc are delivered are all contained in our browser's cache/history.
If I broke into houses and wanted to know the best prospect's, I would pay to know who was a Newegg customer or a Dell customer that had made recent purchases. Or if I would love to know someone's video survellience camera web address. And even if I knew when someone would be at Disneyworld, that would help me target a house.
I guess the main thrust of this is that the Web is becoming just like the real world, you really need to take the same precautions to protect yourself.