Bugtraq mailing list archives
RE: An undetectable Online Bank Vulnerability?
From: "M Peterson" <apalamen () sbcglobal net>
Date: Fri, 7 May 2004 21:57:44 -0500
Here is a part of some of my information again: Fortunately Bank of America and ASBBank (New Zealand) have moved this previous (3rd-party) remote script to one executing locally on their own servers. -----Original Message----- From: M Peterson [mailto:apalamen () sbcglobal net] Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 7:25 PM To: 'Sachin Hamirwasia'; 'bugtraq () securityfocus com' Subject: RE: An undetectable Online Bank Vulnerability? Exactly, so here is an actual LIVE examples to provide: 1. <script language="javascript1.1" src="/{WEBSERVER}/homepage-utils.js"></SCRIPT> </script> 2. <img src="//{WEBSERVER}/cgi-bin/m?ci={CLIENT}&cg=0" alt=""> So this would fit your original vulnerability assessment, would it not? Since this code executes at the client-side, how could a bank's webservers detect altered code? A bank recently took notice of this basic security vulnerability and incorporated this script on their own local servers: 1. <SCRIPT language="JavaScript1.2" src="js/{WEBMEASUREMENT_CODE}.js"></SCRIPT> If one were to put this code on controlled webservers, then yes it would be far more unlikely to be compromised. One would need to target the bank's webservers and insert their redirection {MALICIOUS} code at this point. This is obvious. Although I think people get very uncomfortable mentioning the inherent risks of utilizing third-party services and the theoritical security issues of plausible scenarios to discuss this to get peoples attention on these issues before the damage is done. Although this is a very basic inherent vulnerability of the Internet, I felt that people of this Internet Security and Awareness Forum should let me know why if I am completely wrong here, and if so, exactly why? -Mark -----Original Message----- From: Sachin Hamirwasia [mailto:sachinh () singnet com sg] Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2003 11:07 AM To: 'Mark Peterson'; bugtraq () securityfocus com Subject: RE: An undetectable Online Bank Vulnerability? Mark, I would not expect any Online Bank (worthy of its name) to simply insert a raw script code (either client side or server side assembly) on its web pages. Most web-analytic measurement sites (like doubleclient.net, RedSheriff, Akamai) would provide a script code to insert on your pages, not a URL based insertion. So I don't see XSS/CSS being a case to exploit here. But yes, if Bank A has a webpage (http://www.bank-a.com/index.html) which has a line like this: <html> .... <script src="http://www.another-site.com/analysis/counter.js";></script> ... </html> then Bank A is vulnerable to severe XSS exploitations. But I find it difficult to imagine a bank doing this... Can you provide a more concrete example of what you are suggesting? Is there any online bank where you have noticed something to this effect? ~cheers~ -----Original Message----- From: Mark Peterson [mailto:apalamen () sbcglobal net] Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 1:18 AM To: bugtraq () securityfocus com Subject: An undetectable Online Bank Vulnerability? December 20, 2003 RE: Banking/eCommerce Basic Vulnerability - Undetectable Due to the well-known documented ability of XSS/CSS capabilities and the proliferation of 3rd-party web-services, can anyone confirm the following: If an Online Bank utilizes 3rd-party webservices (javascript/.JS) via either web-analytic measurements or a banner-ad server - Is there not indeed a theoretical backdoor to the client-side browser if this 3rd-party webservice/webserver was compromised with malicious code? All one has to do is attack the server that is providing the commercial webservice and in theory, one would have complete control over the consumer's webbrowser (client-side browser), without detection from an Online Bank - or internal security intrusion detection from the Bank itself. Is this not correct? Behind closed doors, I have confirmation of this independently. Although no one in public seems to be willing to formally acknowledge these basic vulnerabilities in Online Banking. I have a list of Banks that currently utilize webservices from another 3rd-party. I have searched the entire Internet for anyone else who may have reported this obvious vulnerability to an online bank. What I haven't found is a technical solution to it, nor dissemination on the basics of just how vulnerable online banking is to consumers. Can anyone debate me publicly on this on grounds of the technical merits of this Online Banking Security issue? Without throwing accusations around? I am a writer, and wanted to address the fact that there is a theoretical backdoor, that could escape detection from Intrusion Countermeasures - because this theory is made up of the following: 1) Find a COMMERCIAL WEBSITE with 3rd-party services running on it. 2) Attack the weakest part - the company providing webservices to this website. 3) Compromise the code on the server that is providing it to the COMMERCIAL WEBSITE. 4) This compromised code could in theory launch a new Popup() window or new browser session mimicking the entire content of the COMMERCIAL WEBSITE. 5) This technique bypasses the COMMERCIAL WEBSITE's SERVER and INTRUSION DETECTION capability, by launching straight into the users client-browser session (client-side). In theory would this not be a Backdoor to Online Banking/Commerce? It is also undetectable because of its client-side orientation, is this not also correct? Obvious solutions: Remove 3rd-party webservices from sensitive websites. Inform customers to disable Javascript or Mobile Code. Any comments would be appreciated. -- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 7.0.230 / Virus Database: 262.9.10 - Release Date: 4/28/2004
Current thread:
- RE: An undetectable Online Bank Vulnerability? M Peterson (May 10)