RE: New article on SecurityFocus

["Larry Seltzer" <larry () larryseltzer com>]

The numbers come mostly from porn sites that use a low brow ad network that
is inserting the graphics into the sites. If you really want to see one, go
to 600pics[dot]com, but be forewarned of hardcore porn.

I haven't seen any reports of innocent sites being affected by this.

Larry Seltzer
eWEEK.com Security Center Editor
http://security.eweek.com/
http://blog.ziffdavis.com/seltzer
Contributing Editor, PC Magazine
larryseltzer () ziffdavis com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Brady McClenon [mailto:BMcClenon () uamail albany edu] 
Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 11:29 AM
To: Drew Simonis; Thor (Hammer of God); Erin Carroll;
pen-test () securityfocus com
Cc: Larry Seltzer; focus-ms () securityfocus com
Subject: RE: New article on SecurityFocus

Just curious.  I hear media reports and people saying that there's hundreds
or thousands of compromised web site from this, but I have ask where these
numbers come from?  Where is this data, or is it pure speculation?  I'm also
curious how one could compromise a web server with this exploit.  Putting
files on a web server to dole out and compromise other computers I can see,
but is the web server really compromised in this case?  If so, was it by way
of the WMF exploit?

One last question:  Has anyone here experienced or know anyone that has a
"legitimate" web server compromised (or serving out) by the WMF exploit.
I'm trying to determine if there are those with actual knowledge that the
sky is indeed falling, or if we are all shaking over unsubstantiated media
hype.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Drew Simonis [mailto:simonis () myself com]
> Sent: Friday, January 06, 2006 10:22 AM
> To: Thor (Hammer of God); Erin Carroll; pen-test () securityfocus com
> Cc: Larry Seltzer; focus-ms () securityfocus com
> Subject: Re: New article on SecurityFocus
>
> > Overall, I think community's coverage of wmf has been delivered with 
> > an ounce of perception, and a pound of obscurity.  It's almost as if 
> > people *want* it to be worse than it is.  I'm not surprised, of 
> > course.  But regardless,  my call is that we'll see a little 
> > activity here and there, the patch will come out, most will install 
> > it (or have it installed automatically) and the whole issue will 
> > fade away.  But that's all.
> >
> > We'll know for sure shortly, either way.
>
> Thor,
> I think your path of thought is stuck a bit in the past.  
> Worms are neat as a technical exercise, but we see more and more that 
> the attackers are increasingly aware of the value of these 
> vulnerabilities from a financial perspective, not merely for 
> notoriety.  As such, it benefits the attacker to have a less subtle 
> attack, one that does not sensationalize the vulnerability.  
> Complacency is their ally.
>
> That said, there are already numerous (hundreds+) "legitimate" web 
> sites that have been compromised and had exploit images injected into 
> their content.  There are also already hundreds of thousands of 
> machines that have been infected with Trojans or bots.  These infected 
> machines will patch, but they won't be safe, and the problem gets 
> worse.
>
> So no, there won't be some catastrophic worm event.  But I posit that 
> what there will be could be much worse.
>
> --
> ___________________________________________________
> Play 100s of games for FREE! http://games.mail.com/
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audit your website security with Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner: 

Hackers are concentrating their efforts on attacking applications on your 
website. Up to 75% of cyber attacks are launched on shopping carts, forms, 
login pages, dynamic content etc. Firewalls, SSL and locked-down servers are 
futile against web application hacking. Check your website for vulnerabilities 
to SQL injection, Cross site scripting and other web attacks before hackers do! 
Download Trial at:

http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/pen-test_050831
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------