MowGreen

Java Plug-in and Java Web Start May Allow Applets and Applications to Run With Unpatched JRE

At the very bottom of the above page it clearly states

Note: It is recommended that affected versions be removed from your system. For more information, see the installation notes on the respective java.sun.com download pages.

Note this bulletin, issued August 21st, refers to the 1.5.0_05 JRE and prior. This caught my eye:

The Java Plug-in and Java Web Start both allow applets and applications to specify the version of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) to run with. However, the versions of Java Web Start and the Java Plug-in listed in Section 2 below may allow applets or applications to run with a specified version of the JRE that does not have the latest security fixes.

2. Contributing Factors

* Java Plug-in included with J2SE 5.0 Update 5 and earlier, 1.4.x,
1.3.1, and 1.3.0_02 and later
* Java Web Start included with J2SE 5.0 Update 5 and earlier, and
1.4.2
* Java Web Start 1.2, 1.0.2, 1.0.1, and 1.0

Now they state that

Notes:
1. Prior to 5.0 Update 6, an applet could specify the version of the JRE on which it would run. With 5.0 Update 6 and later installed on the Windows platform, all applets are executed with the latest version of the JRE.

Which is exactly what I've been complaining about since Feb, 2005.
So, in effect, removing any JRE prior to 1.5_06 will mitigate any malware running prior, vulnerable versions.

The only reason one would remove 1.5.0_06, or v.07 would be to conserve disk space, according to Sun.

I may be a tad "crazy", but I ain't dumb, Sun. ( Or is that dim sum ;)

Posted by mowgreen at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Websense® Security Labs™ has received a sample of a new phishing Trojan that delivers stolen information back to the attacker via ICMP packets. Upon infection of a victim's computer, the Trojan will install itself as an Internet Explorer Browser Helper Object (BHO). The BHO then waits for the user to post personal information to a monitored website. As this information is entered by the user, it is captured by the BHO and sent back to the attacker. The method of network transport used by the attacker makes this Trojan unique. Typically, keyloggers of this type will send the stolen information back to the attacker via email or HTTP POST, which can appear suspicious. Instead, this Trojan encodes the data with a simple XOR algorithm before placing it into the data section of an ICMP ping packet.

Original article here : http://www.websense.com/securitylabs/alerts/alert.php?AlertID=570

( ICMP packets are not blocked Outbound by the Windows Firewall in XP SP2 )

Posted by mowgreen at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)