Re: simple phishing fix

["lsi" <stuart () cyberdelix net>]

summary
-------

Of all the approaches below I like the simple list of strings in the 
email
client (the first link).  This is because it's a DENY ALL policy.  
The
other approaches below, AFAICS, use ACCEPT ALL and then try and find
reasons to block the mail.  The first approach simply blocks them 
all!  Sure, you
want to receive mail from the Bank of Foo, just don't put 
bankoffoo.com in
your list!   

Frankly, email should not be used by banks, due to the risk of 
impersonation, and if this DENY ALL approach causes them to stop 
using email to send messages to customers, good.   

So let's not waste time on fancy error-prone algorithms, purleeze!  


a quick review of deployed anti-phishing technologies
-----------------------------------------------------

0. filter against the FROM field using a blacklist in the email 
client:

http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2008/Jul/0488.html

1. software from Symantec, McAfee etc, integrated into their desktop
security suites, filtering method not disclosed.  

2. there's anti-phishing filters for IE, Firefox and maybe Opera - 
filtering method not researched (we want to stop the phish before the 
user
even opens the email, they should never see the link that takes them 
to
their browser),  

3. article says CMU have developed an unreleased filter, using pretty
standard anti-spam techniques, plus some attempt at matching the 
stated
domainname against URLs listed in the bodytext:  

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/columns/executive_tech/article.php/36
2074
1

The phishing filter in Thunderbird apparently uses a similar 
technique (eg. comparing the sender's domainname against URLs in the
bodytext, a technique which reportedly is a bit flaky.  

4. article says GoDaddy filter scans URLs in bodytext against a 
blacklist:

http://help.godaddy.com/article/645

5. software says it uses some kind of user-generated database (eg. 
users report stats to a central server via client software):  

http://spam-fighter.qarchive.org/

6. post says google are using DKIM to detect phish:

http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/fighting-phishing-with-ebay-and-
payp
al.html

(gmail's phish detection reportedly suffers from false-positives)

7. article says to use a Bayesian filter (unspecified):

http://ezinearticles.com/?Phishing-Filter---How-to-Use-Phishing-
Filters-to
-Prevent-Any-Information-Theft&id=919156

8. product claims to use "rate controls" (eg. mails/minute) to detect
phish:

http://www.moonslice.com/hosting/spamds.htm


On 28 Jul 2008 at 18:32, Biz Marqee wrote:

Date sent:      Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:32:48 +1000
From:   "Biz Marqee" <biz.marqee () gmail com>
To:     full-disclosure () lists grok org uk
Subject:        Re: [Full-disclosure] simple phishing fix
Copies to:      stuart () cyberdelix net

> Post my mail filter strings? LOL. That just proves how insignificant you and
> your ideas are. I do real security research work like write exploits and
> patches. Do you know how to mmap @ 0x00000000 on current kernels? Do you
> even know why that would be useful?
>
> How does this fix the problem? If it were that black and white ISP's would
> implement it at their MX's.. on top of that what about all the LEGITIMATE
> emails banks send out?
>
> Anyone who knows how to set up mail filters would have already done so
> without your "message". Maybe you should stop posting trying to puff up your
> image on a mailing list and go back to your "research". Who knows maybe one
> day you can graduate to XSS... lmao.
>
> Leave security work to the experts you untalented, fame seeking, peice of
> shit...
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 5:52 PM, lsi <stuart () cyberdelix net> wrote:
>
> > Please post the list of strings you use in your phishing filter.
> >
> > Or don't you have one?
> >
> > Seriously dude, if phishing was so simple to fix then why is it "on
> > the rise" according to recent news articles?
> >
> > I mean, if all the admins out there in the world are blocking them,
> > when why are they still being sent out by scammers?
> >
> > Either the admins don't know how to block them, or the scammers don't
> > know they are being blocked.
> >
> > My message can solve both problems.
> >
> > I seem to recall a time when email-borne viruses were a problem, once
> > it was pointed out they were simple to block, they rapidly dropped
> > out of fashion.
> >
> > I would indeed like to repeat that success and save the associated
> > electricity, bandwidth and CPU time for something more important,
> > such as replying to bone-headed posts in fd, for a start.
> >
> > Stu
> >
> > On 28 Jul 2008 at 10:57, Biz Marqee wrote:
> >
> > Date sent:      Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:57:06 +1000
> > From:   "Biz Marqee" <biz.marqee () gmail com>
> > To:     full-disclosure () lists grok org uk
> > Subject:        RE: [Full-disclosure] simple phishing fix
> > Copies to:      stuart () cyberdelix net
> >
> > > Wow, you our are savior.. no, no our e-Hero! Forget patches for software
> > > bugs.. This guy can teach us how to set up a mail filter!!
> > >
> > > Seriously dude.. do you think we care about, or are too inept to set up
> > mail
> > > filter rules? Go find another list to contribute to, you are a joke.
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> > Stuart Udall
> > stuart at () cyberdelix dot net - http://www.cyberdelix.net/
> >
> > ---
> >  * Origin: lsi: revolution through evolution (192:168/0.2)



---
Stuart Udall
stuart at () cyberdelix dot net - http://www.cyberdelix.net/

--- 
 * Origin: lsi: revolution through evolution (192:168/0.2)

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