Security Basics mailing list archives

Re: Cyber attacks "escalating" on irresponsible Tavis Ormandy disclosure


From: iamherevivek () gmail com
Date: Wed, 7 Jul 2010 15:20:50 +0000

Hola,

I dunt agree that hackers are the only ones benefited. I see it as the part of a bigger cycle of worldwide security 
growth. Till someone breaks his/her head on a stuff hack it and share, the industry will stagnate with useless stuff. 
The disclosures are one of many things that keep the wheel of security and hacking turning.  

We should also remember that anyone disclosing vulnerability informs the writer/publisher  of the app(s) affected 
first, initiating a permanent upgrade of specific approach that was flawed before it(the knowledge sharing is still nt 
at an appreciatable level). 

The users/ systems that aren't fixed will/might get hacked. Well, dunt we call it human negligence. My understanding is 
a very small amount of computer users are affected by the worms and viruses using the disclosures. At the same time, I 
would like to recall the fact that few combination of disclosures might bring a set of worms that make into the big 
league.

Well, to wrap it up, everything(vulnerability disclosures) that has a beginning has an end (patches and upgrade 
security understanding of developers). It has its life time, some learn it the hard way during it. I think it will take 
tons of  suggestions and open discussions  to come up with a process that improves collective vulnerability, exploit 
and security research.


My 2 cents

Dead brain

Sent on my BlackBerry® from Vodafone

-----Original Message-----
From: fyne_ugo () yahoo com
Sender: listbounce () securityfocus com
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 21:14:20 
To: <noloader () gmail com>; Murda<murdamcloud () bigpond com>
Reply-To: fyne_ugo () yahoo com
Cc: <security-basics () securityfocus com>
Subject: Re: Cyber attacks "escalating" on irresponsible Tavis Ormandy disclosure

Vulnerabilities shouldn't be disclosed publicly. Its only hackers that would benefit from them. There should be bodies 
that will follow up and check them.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey Walton <noloader () gmail com>
Sender: listbounce () securityfocus com
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2010 14:31:19 
To: Murda<murdamcloud () bigpond com>
Reply-To: noloader () gmail com
Cc: <security-basics () securityfocus com>
Subject: Re: Cyber attacks "escalating" on irresponsible Tavis Ormandy 
        disclosure

Personally, I think that a huge fist of economics may at some point render
some of these points moot. Companies may well not be able to afford to care
about holes...especially when those companies are reliant on over-leveraged
financial systems.
I'd settle for some sort of product liability. Its not hard to imagine
the discovery phase of litigation revealing that a vendor sat on a bug
for years....

On Mon, Jul 5, 2010 at 7:29 PM, Murda <murdamcloud () bigpond com> wrote:
So this seems to boil down to the two arguments(in my mind at least):
"The action of disclosing vulnerabilities may increase the risk of a breach
but may increase the likelihood of the vendor fixing the hole,"

Versus:

"The inaction of not disclosing the vulnerability may decrease the risk of a
breach but does not increase the likelihood of a vendor fixing the hole,"

Does that sound right? Anyone who has the ability to quantify those
arguments in a meaningful manner wins the right to tell me how the stock
market will fluctuate in the next six months...


Perhaps the thread name could (just as justifiably?) be "Cyber Attacks
"escalating" after irresponsible MS not fixing hole".

Personally, I think that a huge fist of economics may at some point render
some of these points moot. Companies may well not be able to afford to care
about holes...especially when those companies are reliant on over-leveraged
financial systems.

[SNIP]

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