Security Incidents mailing list archives

RE: Possible Intrusion Attempt?


From: "Thomas, Frank" <ThomasF () luton gov uk>
Date: Fri, 23 May 2003 09:41:11 +0100

I saw this on one of our machines the other day with a bit of spam - in a
similar situation to yours.

If you look at the HTML source of the spam message, my guess it that it's
pulling an image down with a url like

HTTP://username:password () some site com/foo/bar.gif

let me guess, the details that appeared in the popped up authentication box
would then match the username and password supplied in that URL...
I think proxy gets confused with that format of URL and assumes that they
are the details to authenticate with the proxy, as well as the site.

IMHO, I don't think it's an attack

HTH

Frank

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt LaFelero [mailto:ramstryke () yahoo com]
Sent: 22 May 2003 00:48
To: incidents () securityfocus com
Subject: Possible Intrusion Attempt?




I'm hoping someone here might be able to shed some light on this 

situation..  



Some of my users have been getting some interesting spam mail.  This is 

the first time I've ever seen a spam mail do this.  When the user opens 

the spam mail, all of a sudden, an Internet Explorer authentication 

boxes pops up.  You know those that ask for username, password, and 

domain.  



Well, I run MS Proxy 2.0 here and the logon with a 2KPro machine is 

integrated so the user never sees this box or has to enter his/her 

password to get on the Web.  



It's strange that this email triggers the authentication box.  What's 

even weirder is that it populates the username for them, with weird 

names.  The names always seem to change from spam mail to spam mail.  I've 

seen iterations like fluff, skank, morton, taxiway.. you name it.



It seems most of the emails are HTML, which can explain a lot.  None of 

them had attachments.  From what I could gather it seems to attempting to 

load a site.  We run Outlook 2000 with SP3 and all hotfixes.



My question is, how is this happening and is it a threat?


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----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Wireless LAN Policies for Security & Management - NEW White Paper ***
Just like wired networks, wireless LANs require network security policies 
that are enforced to protect WLANs from known vulnerabilities and threats. 
Learn to design, implement and enforce WLAN security policies to lockdown enterprise WLANs.

To get your FREE white paper visit us at:    
http://www.securityfocus.com/AirDefense-incidents
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