[Fed-Talk] Changing Preferences Against Vulnerability
[Fed-Talk] Changing Preferences Against Vulnerability
- Subject: [Fed-Talk] Changing Preferences Against Vulnerability
- From: "Cole, John (Civ, ARL/CISD)" <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 14:50:12 -0500
- Thread-topic: Changing Preferences Against Vulnerability
The work around, if you are using Safari, is to disable automatic
opening in Safari under safari>preferences>general>"open safe files" and
to move the application "terminal" out of the utilities directory (to
the applications directory, for example).
The article on the vulnerability and workaround may be read at
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/69862
Besides (or better, instead of) looking at Apple, you can consult other
well-known sites that list vulnerabilities as they become known. For
example:
http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=1138
Jack Cole
US Army Research Laboratory
Center for Intrusion Monitoring and Protection
-----Original Message-----
From: fed-talk-bounces+cole=email@hidden
[mailto:fed-talk-bounces+cole=email@hidden] On Behalf Of
email@hidden
Sent: Friday, February 24, 2006 1:57 PM
To: email@hidden
Subject: [Fed-Talk] "More security problems bite Apple"-RNZ
The last sentence of the article states that the loophole by changing
some preferences....sure would be nice if they stated which ones. I
agree in a Gov environment it was hard enough to get Macs in lets be
proactive with Fix-its and info on Security issues. When I heard of the
security problem I went straight to Apple.com to find out some info and
I couldn't find a thing, I figured it would be front page
information....damage control.
"More security problems bite Apple
(http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/664776)
Virus attacking Apple Mac PCs found
Feb 23, 2006
Experts have uncovered a serious security bug in the way Apple software
handles downloaded files.
The flaw could give malicious attackers a back door into Mac computers
if users visit carefully crafted websites and download booby-trapped
files.
Although no attackers were known to be exploiting the bug, experts said
it was easy to write code to take advantage of the flaw.
Separately, three concept viruses for Apple computers have been
discovered.
The discovery of the bug opens up Apple users to so-called "drive-by
downloads"
that plague users of the Window operating system and are used by makers
of adware and spyware to install their software on victims' PCs.
Discovered by University of Ulm student Michael Lehn, the loophole
arises because of the way that Apple's OSX operating handles downloaded
files.
Although OSX displays an icon for files based on the suffix it finds on
the programme being downloaded i.e. jpg, it uses different criteria to
decide what to do with these files. This makes it possible to have files
look benign by labelling them as images but, behind the scenes the
operating system will know it is dealing with a proper programme and run
it as such.
Initially, the flaw was thought only to affect compressed or zipped
files but the Internet Storm Center said it can be used for any file
that arrives on a target machine.
So far, no net-based exploits of the bug are known to be in existence
but Apple is known to be working on a fix for the flaw.
The operating system can also be made secure against the loophole by
changing some preferences.
Source: RNZ"
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Fed-talk mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Fed-talk mailing list (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
This email sent to email@hidden