Posted on 03/27/2006 6:58:48 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
A dangerous new exploit in Internet Explorer could put PCs and data at risk, Microsoft has admitted.
The flaw, for which code has already been published on the internet, could be exploited to set an email-borne virus free on the unsuspecting public.
Potential viruses could come as an attachment that conceals the code, or could possibly redirect users to a site that will unleash the code on the user's machine, leaving the computer open to remote attack. Once the PC is being controlled by a malicious user, it can then be used to launch attacks on other PCs.
Even supposedly fully patched versions of Internet Explorer 6 are vulnerable to the flaw, it seems, as are users with XP Service Pack 2.
However, Microsoft has no plans to patch it until its next security update is released. This is despite some security companies rating it as a high level threat.
In a security advisory on its website, Microsoft outlined the threat: "We have seen examples of proof of concept code but we are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time.
"Microsoft has determined that an attacker who exploits this vulnerability would have no way to force users to visit a malicious website."
Instead, it has warned users of its browser products to be careful when opening email attachments and to avoid untrusted websites. It has also recommended that users disable Active Scripting in their browser in an attempt to reduce their exposure to attack.
The other option is to choose an alternative browser, such as Firefox or Opera. However, even these browsers are not as safe from attack as they were once considered.
Firefox has been subject to a number of flaws over the past year, including one that could leave its users more vulnerable to phishing scams. Meanwhile, a report published in September by Symantec rated Internet Explorer as safer than Firefox. The report found some 25 flaws in Mozilla's Firefox internet browser, almost double the number it discovered in IE.
However, it has been a tough week for Microsoft - this is the third security flaw it has had to investigate in the past seven days. On Tuesday, it admitted it was looking into a security flaw that could leave Windows PCs open to remote control, while earlier in the week it also alerted users to a vulnerability that could cause the Internet Explorer browser to crash.
Since it's your work computer tell your company's tech guy you got a virus. Make sure you backup your important files.
Thanks to earnest and zeguma, also. Ok, Bit Defender did not detect it..... I will go to the links posted, and report back.
Thank you for making me laff out loud!
(I'm what passes for the....yep....'tech guy'....company's not big enuf .....yet?, yeah...that's the ticket!)
I was in a similar situation. I fixed it but it was a real b*tch.
I used a combination of Adaware and NAV and got very lucky. If I could have found the disk that came with the computer I would have just wiped the HD and reinstalled, and that would have been a lot less aggravating.
Can you do what you need to do with Firefox and thunderbird?
Obviously be careful and I was taking a chance since I didn't know for sure what I was doing. Of course, I was ready to do a reinstall anyway so it would have been no huge loss.
Whatever you do make sure you are disconnected from the Internet while cleaning.
HijackThis is an advanced tool; if you run a scan with it and aren't sure what each item means, it's probably better to have someone else look at the log. Run a scan and have it save a log, then post it to your favorite tech website or send it to your personal/company tech person and have them give a recommendation. If you don't have anyone, you can FRmail me the log and I'll give it a once-over.
On the plus side, almost all spyware infections can be removed with various free tools, once you know which tools to use. HijackThis can find traces to most anything malicious that will let you (or your expert) know which removal tools you should run.
Difficult to answer, dt not ever having used those....sorry, but, you are kind to offer help, sir!
OK, from the link, I recognized "Avast" as a workable free program, and don't remember it trying to charge for baddie removal, as long as it could find it, eh? So I dwnld it, and it seems to have worked...shew!
Turbo, yes indeed I realize that Hijack this is an advanced weapon, and do not mess with the registry, unless a nice person such as yourself can help. One thing I tried to do was boot in safe mode by hitting F8 as it was starting, but, all I got was a strnge DOS screen that had nothing to do with Safe Mode.....hmmmm.
But from what I have read, it seems the thing to do is dwnld HJT, then run a scan while in safe mode....tell you what, I'll see if I can "print screen", or at least describe what I see when I hit F8 while it's starting, and I'll get HJT, and let you know. Thanks so much, very kind of you sir!
Also figured out how to get to safe mode if I need to do a HJT scan in that....
OK, this may very well be a dumb question, but I think I need to eliminate one possibility from my mind to keep from thinking about it.
Did you restore your home page in the options back to your preferred page after you noticed the change?
You may have said so, but I missed it.
Bit defender didn't catch it. Another Freeper is helping with the HJT log ...will report back. Nothing so far has caught it, or removed it. Thing that bugs me just as much as it being there in the first place is....how'd the blang thing get there?
He He good one! no I didn't miss it...but you know what? (that's be just like me) :)
"Yes, Adaware & Spybot don't detect it, even a registered version of Webroot Spysweeper failed to detect it. AVG? nope. Panda & Housecall, the online scans, do not detect it.
Seems like I've got to do it manually, I think, via Hijack This!, but am leery of messin w/ da registry!
As an aside, many "free spyware scans" detect it....like "Spyware Doctor" BUT....yep, you already know what I'm gonna say, right? (thay want $$ to get rid of it). Sigh.
I'm going to try bit defender.....will let you know."
Tried ewido...didn't catch it. will check out the links and report back. Thanks!
Have no idea what would cause that....have no idea what a rootkit even is...sheesh....sorry....
one thing, though...the HJT log wasn't that awful long, really.....this is actually kindof a baby 'puter w/o much 'data' (yet). I hate saying that though, 'cause I know your gonna say...."then wipe it Jim!"
Gawd Almighty, my age is telling- I had every album ( LP's, Altec speakers, MacIntosh amp ) they pressed, and I think you're right... or am I remembering the lines from "Right Place, Wrong Line?" Dr. John?
Back to your problem, the forums are probably your best bet. My adventures nuking the about-blank hijacker are here:
-Hijacked! New Browser Exploits Plague Web--
and among my typical "million links" is "The Brute Force Removal Method"-- but I really don't recommend that except as a last resort.
Thanks for dropping by....guess I'll look at that link.
Looking at post 94, all I can think of is a root canal,....damn I hate a root canal ....hurts like hell!!!!
I think I can do everything I need to do on the internet with Linux....
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