Posted on 12/28/2005 2:55:03 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
This alert is a follow-up to a post made yesterday on our blog: http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/blog/
Websense® Security Labs has discovered numerous websites exploiting an unpatched Windows vulnerability in the handling of .WMF image files. The websites which have been uncovered at this point are using the exploit to distribute Spyware applications and other Potentially Unwanted Soware. The user's desktop background is replaced with a message warning of a spyware infection and a "spyware cleaning" application is launched. This application prompts the user to enter credit card information in order to remove the detected spyware. The background image used and the "spyware cleaning" application vary between instances. In addition, a mail relay is installed on the infected computer and it will begin sending thousands of SPAM messages.
We are currently tracking thousands of websites distributing exploit code from iFrameCASH BIZ. A similar zero-day vulnerability being exploited by this entity was discussed earlier this month:http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/alerts/alert.php?AlertID=364
There is currently no patch available. Visiting an infected webpage with Internet Explorer on a fully-patched XP Service Pack 2 computer causes immediate infection. Earlier Firefox users are vulnerable but they are first prompted to display the WMF image. If a filesystem indexing service (such as Google Desktop) is installed, users of Firefox and even text-based browsers can become infected.
(Excerpt) Read more at websensesecuritylabs.com ...
Another one.....
According to an overnight post at the SANS Internet Storm Center, the link provided at Bugtraq when clicked on successfully drops a Trojan horse program (on) fully patched Windows XP SP2 machines. The Trojan will then download a fake anti-spyware/virus program which asks user to purchase a registered version of software in order to remove threats it claims are resident on the user's machine.
I don't understand why they keep calling this a browser exploit. It is strictly a Windows exploit. How the malicious WMF file is downloaded is irrelevant.
What? Your not supposed to enter your info?
LVM
December 28, 2005
Malicious Website / Malicious Code: Zero-day IE .WMF Exploit
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A screen....
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This one may fool some people!
A simple way of dealing with this until the patch is released is to change the .WMF file type to invoke something other than Windows Fax and Picture Viewer until this issue is resolved.
AVG finally removed the virus from my computer.( I think).
I quit using ie because of that virus, downloaded firefox. It looks like the new AVG download takes care of winfixer 2005.
Ping!
This is an example of how P.U.S. (AKA "Greyware") vendors are using known and unknown exploits combined with deception to install code.
http://www.websensesecuritylabs.com/images/alerts/wmf-movie.wmv
Hope it works for you........I got this crap with Firefox.
Not only "strictly a Windows exploit", but apparently also limited to XP w/ SP2.
I guess I'll just have to turn my new firewall settings up another couple of notches (I'm running 2000 Pro SP5), knock off surfing for a bit and go shut off my daughter's XP setup. (Lord, I'm tired of debugging that computer!!)
I got it by using "save image as".
Now im upset that firefox can bring it back.
Try AVG free virus killer. It can't hurt, anyway.
This has been building for a month or so.
I'm beginning to think that the best option for most people would be a dual-boot system with Windows and Linux. Run Windows for the gaming and the applications that aren't available on Linux and run Linux for internet browsing, e-mail, etc.
Another option is to use a cheap machine solely for the net and keep the important computer off the net or behind a secondary firewall -- only using the net for system updates and browsing extremely trusted sites.
Microsoft Windows WMF Handling Arbitrary Code Execution
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I've been saying that for awhile also....not many people listening though!
or if you're just using your computer for web, email, mp3s, photos, etc. Get a mac mini for $500 and stop worry about all the spyware and viruses.
I'd imagine Javascript/ActiveX would need to be enabled for web sites to exploit the bug in IE but it doesn't say other than unregistering shimgvw.dll. That file doesn't even show up in Windows 98SE so I'm not sure if that OS is vulnerable, it appears to be XP and Windows 2003 Web Server only.
Yep...I run Debian Linux. Win-XP runs in VM-Ware on my workstation. I never touch the net with XP.
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