[ISN] Security UPDATE -- Proactive Honeypots -- August 17, 2005

From: InfoSec News (isn@private)
Date: Thu Aug 18 2005 - 00:07:36 PDT


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1. In Focus: Proactive Honeypots

2. Security News and Features
   - Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   - Recent Microsoft Security Bulletins: Exploits Already on the Loose 
   - Identity Theft Ring Used a Powerful Keyboard Logger 

3. Instant Poll

4. Security Toolkit
   - Security Matters Blog
   - FAQ

5. New and Improved
   - Filter Web and Email Content

====================

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==== 1. In Focus: Proactive Honeypots ====
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net

Honeypots sit on a server and wait for intrusion attempts. When one 
occurs, they can perform a variety of actions. But what if a honeypot 
did the inverse--headed out on the Web to look for intruders? Microsoft 
has developed a new tool, Strider HoneyMonkey Exploit Detection System, 
that runs as a Web client by using "monkeys" to surf the Web for 
malicious Web-based content. 

HoneyMonkey's monkeys are programs that automate Web surfing and 
exploit detection. Instead of relying on databases of known exploits 
and malware, the monkeys launch a browser, connect to a site via its 
URL, and then wait for something to happen. The programs also monitor 
all file and registry access. Because the monkeys aren't designed to 
click links or dialog boxes on sites, it can be reasonably assumed that 
any executable file downloads or registry changes during monkey Web 
sessions might be hostile in one way or another. 

Microsoft says that HoneyMonkey also works in conjunction with Strider 
GhostBuster and Strider Gatekeeper to detect hidden processes and hooks 
that might use autostart features of the OS. HoneyMonkey runs inside a 
virtual machine (VM), which makes cleaning up after any potential 
exploit or infection much easier. When exploits are detected, 
HoneyMonkey alerts a controller, which destroys the VM, launches a new, 
fully patched VM, and passes the URL to another monkey. If an exploit 
is still detected, HoneyMonkey concludes that it's found a new (or 
zero-day, if you prefer) exploit and passes it on to Microsoft's 
Security Response Center for further research. 

HoneyMonkey works sort of like a search engine spider. It follows links 
and redirects at a detected exploit site to find more suspect sites. 
According to Microsoft, such sites often link to each other; if one 
site's exploit doesn't work, another site's might. 

Microsoft said that after a month of use, HoneyMonkey discovered 752 
URLs at 287 sites that can infiltrate an unpatched system running 
Windows XP. Of that lot, 204 URLs at 115 sites can infiltrate a system 
running XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) and no additional patches. 
Microsoft said that the first new exploit was detected in July. It used 
known vulnerabilities in javaprxy.dll, for which no patch was 
available. Microsoft then created a patch, which was released in 
conjunction with Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-037, "Vulnerability 
in JView Profiler Could Allow Remote Code Execution (903235)."
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Here's some interesting information: Of those 752 URLs, 102 of them 
were available via search results at Google and 100 of them were 
available at Yahoo!. As of June 1, 49 of them were available at MSN 
Search, but by June 10, Microsoft had removed all 49. The company 
didn't say whether it shared its information with other search engine 
operators so that they could remove the URLs from their respective 
engines.

If you're interested in learning more about HoneyMonkey, visit the 
Microsoft Research Web site and click the link "Full research technical 
report on Strider HoneyMonkey" for a paper that contains a lot more 
detail. 
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==== 2. Security News and Features ====

Recent Security Vulnerabilities
   If you subscribe to this newsletter, you also receive Security 
Alerts, which inform you about recently discovered security 
vulnerabilities. You can also find information about these 
discoveries at
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=11172:4FB69

Recent Microsoft Security Bulletins: Exploits Already on the Loose 
   Just 48 hours after Microsoft issued its monthly security bulletins 
last week, three proof-of-concept exploits were released that take 
advantage of critical problems. On August 9, Microsoft issued six 
bulletins that explain numerous problems in Microsoft Internet Explorer 
(IE) and Windows Plug and Play and several other problems--many of 
these problems are considered critical. Are worms built on these 
exploits only a matter of time? 
   http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=11178:4FB69

Identity Theft Ring Used a Powerful Keyboard Logger 
   Last week, we reported that Sunbelt Software uncovered an identity 
theft ring. This week, we learned how that ring managed to gather so 
much sensitive information: by using a powerful keystroke logger. Learn 
all about it in this news item on our Web site. 
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====================

==== 3. Instant Poll ====

Results of Previous Poll: Do you regularly scan your external network 
IP addresses for open ports on your network and compare the results 
against a known good baseline?
   The voting has closed in this Windows IT Pro Security Hot Topic 
nonscientific Instant Poll. Here are the results from the 14 votes.
   - 7% Yes, I regularly scan my network and compare against a baseline.
   - 14% Yes, I periodically scan but merely review the results.
   - 64% No, I don't scan, but I think I should.
   - 14% No, I don't think scanning is useful.

New Instant Poll: Does your company use an encryption product to 
protect files and folders on Windows systems?
   Go to the Security Hot Topic and submit your vote for 
   - Yes, we use Microsoft Windows Encrypting File System (EFS).
   - Yes, we use a third-party product.
   - We haven't used encryption in the past, but we're considering it now.
   - No, we don't see any need to encrypt data.
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====================

==== 4. Security Toolkit ==== 

Security Matters Blog: Lawyer's Perspective on Cisco, ISS, and Mike 
Lynn at Black Hat 
   by Mark Joseph Edwards, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1117F:4FB69

Controversy ensued at the recent Black Hat USA 2005 conference in Las 
Vegas. Internet Security Systems (ISS) researcher Mike Lynn was slated 
to give a presentation at the show to discuss vulnerabilities in Cisco 
Systems routers. Cisco tried to prevent the presentation, but the show 
went on. Read the blog entry to learn more. 
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FAQ
   by John Savill, http://list.windowsitpro.com/t?ctl=1117D:4FB69 

Q: How can I use Group Policy to control the new Windows Firewall 
that's included with Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and 
Windows XP SP2?

Find the answer at
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==== 5. New and Improved ====
   by Renee Munshi, products@private

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