Posted on 09/09/2005 9:43:47 AM PDT by Bush2000
Unpatched Firefox flaw may expose users
By Joris Evers, CNET News.com
Published on ZDNet News: September 9, 2005, 3:53 AM PT
A new, unpatched flaw in that affects all versions of Firefox could let attackers surreptitiously run malicious code on users' PCs, a security researcher has warned.
The problem lies in the way Firefox handles Web links that are overly long and contain dashes, security researcher Tom Ferris said in an interview via instant messaging late Thursday.
He posted an advisory and a proof of concept to the Full Disclosure security mailing list and to his Security Protocols Web site.
The security vulnerability is a buffer overflow flaw that "allows for an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code" on a vulnerable PC, Ferris said. An attacker could host a Web site containing the malicious code to exploit the flaw, he said. Though his proof of concept only crashes Firefox, Ferris claims he has been able to tweak it to run code.
Buffer overflows are a commonly exploited security problem. They occur when a program allows data to be written beyond the allocated end of a buffer in memory. A computer can be made to execute potentially malicious code by feeding in extra data that is designed to flood the buffer.
Ferris reported the bug to the Mozilla Foundation on Sunday, intending to go through the organization's bug-reporting process, he said. However, in an example of the uneasy alliance between security researchers and software makers, he decided to publicly disclose the flaw after a run-in with Mozilla staff, he said.
Mozilla, which coordinates development of Firefox and distributes the software, could not immediately comment on the flaw disclosure. However, a source close to the organization confirmed that Ferris had filed several bug reports, including this specific one.
Since the debut of Firefox 1.0 in November, usage of the open-source browser has grown. Security has been a main selling point for Firefox over Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which has begun to see its market share dip slightly--for the first time in years.
However, Firefox has had its own security woes. Several serious holes in the browser have been plugged since its official release, and experts have said that safe Web browsers don't exist.
The public bug disclosure comes just as Mozilla released the first beta of Firefox 1.5. The final release of the next Firefox update, which includes security enhancements, is due by year's end, according to the Firefox road map.
Ferris has found bugs in Microsoft software before, including a yet-unpatched flaw in Internet Explorer that Microsoft still has under investigation.
Earlier this month Microsoft credited Ferris with reporting a bug in a Windows feature called Remote Desktop Protocol that could allow an attacker to remotely restart Windows systems.
finding one other subject that you posted on doesn't really prive anything GE.
you CAN NOT honestly say you post on any subject at all except OSS.
so once again, who is paying you?
"You're wrong, just like always. Microsoft isn't giving software away to the Chicom government, for them to rename "Red Flag" and then sell throughout Asia without a dime back to the US. That's your beloved Linux, of course, thanks to IBM and Red Hat."
Stop spinning and lying. Microsoft gave the ChiComs access to the source code.
As part of its marketing campaign, ***Microsoft has donated software to state-run China Telecom and China's State Economic and Trade Commission.*** It has pledged to invest or donate $10 million to China's primary education. And it has offered to ***provide free Windows operating systems to government officials in Beijing for three years in return for its becoming an exclusive software provider.***
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1481139/posts?page=71#71
You wanna see a lame response... look at this post.
Bush2000 - even you have to admit that GE screwed the pooch on this one.
LOL, I'm obviously not the one lying and spinning. Giving rights to view, portions of the Windows code under strict circumstances, is not equivalent to completely giving ownership of the code away, like you support them doing with open source. They can take that Linux code from IBM and Red Hat, and legally copy it, resell it, even rename it something like "Chinese Red Flag" yet not a whimper of protest from you. But Microsoft dare to give a "peek" to their source code, and you try to act offended. What a complete joke you are!
There seems to be some disagreement on whether modern China is 100% communist
So when dealing with MS China is Semi-Communist, maybe one could say Quasi-Communist... But when talking about Linux they are 'ChiComs'..
No one is paying me to post on this message board, and I've offered to wager my complete net worth to anyone who thinks they can prove otherwise. I work for the DoD, but so what if I did work for a large US software firm, and was attempting to protect those jobs. Do you think it's more noble to be pushing for free software for China and Cuba, like these losers do, instead?
Correct, businesses like IBM want to claim China isn't communist anymore, and sold the IBM PC company to the Chicom government. I disagree, it's a dangerous combination of communism and fascism, and think all tech transfers should be ended. You on the other hand, are hand in hand with the DNC who support free software for them and everyone else in the world. That is the bottom line and twisting my words and personally attacking me in no way distract from it.
"What a complete joke you are!"
Microsoft met all the conditions you made in another post, and now you've gone back on your word.
Who cares if they have Linux source? As you say yourself, it's a lousy clone OS full of security holes. I'd think you would WANT them to use it... instead of the superior Microsoft Windows which they've been given for free!
ANOTHER lie. Link the post, if you doubt it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1481139/posts?page=67#67
Now how about the quotes from Gates and Ballmer which critize communism which you claim exist, but don't?
Gates praised the Chinese, and the Ballmer you once linked to was a parody.
That's not my post, that's your typical nonsense. Post my comment, since you improperly referenced it, or admit you were lying again.
I quoted you in that comment.
The top part is yours.
Now how about the Ballmer and Gates quotes and links?
Notice he never replied to this comment - it cuts his argument down.
"Who cares if they have Linux source? As you say yourself, it's a lousy clone OS full of security holes. I'd think you would WANT them to use it... instead of the superior Microsoft Windows which they've been given for free!"
Post my comment, in its entirety, since you improperly referenced it, or admit you were lying again. Or don't, I don't care, since you're lying either way, and your unwillingness to post the original comment is perfect proof.
It also runs supercomputers that put China in the top 10 in the world for the first time in history. With software handed to them on a silver platter.
" It also runs supercomputers that put China in the top 10 in the world for the first time in history. With software handed to them on a silver platter."
You can also run PVM and MPI on Windows systems - you know, the OS that Microsoft is giving away for free to the ChiComs.
I left a link to the entire comment, and either way, the rest of it is not relevent to this point.
Face it - MS did what you claim it would take for you to criticize them, and then you backtracked.
Again - I ask you - provide the gates and ballmer quotes that you've claimed exist over and over again.
"Or don't, I don't care, since you're lying either way, and your unwillingness to post the original comment is perfect proof."
The only thing I left out was your demand "and when their supporters primarily consist of raving mad lunatics who want to make all software free" which is 1) ridiculous because that's not something a MS supporter would ever do, so it's a silly demand and 2) because "raving mad lunatic" is subjective.
Meanwhile, all the objective demands you made in that quote were met.
"When the DNC starts endorsing their products like they do Linux and open source, when they start giving their software away to China and other communist governments for free like IBM and Red Hat do....When those things happen, I assure you I will speak out against them at every opportunity."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1481139/posts?page=67#67
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