[ISN] Defense Intelligence Agency Fixes Risky Web Site Code

From: InfoSec News <alerts_at_private>
Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2008 02:28:04 -0600 (CST)
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/government/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=211800622

By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
October 31, 2008 05:05 PM

The Defense Intelligence Agency Web site, until earlier this week, 
exposed job applicants to potential privacy and security risks because 
it included a link to JavaScript code hosted on a third-party Web site.

While there's no evidence that the site leaked personal information, the 
presence of a call to execute JavaScript code that resides on a 
Statcounter.com server in Ireland provided a weak link in the security 
chain that could have been exploited to provide potentially valuable 
foreign intelligence about future DIA personnel.

Security researcher Bipin Gautam sent an e-mail to the Full Disclosure 
security mailing list earlier this week outlining his concerns.

In a follow-up e-mail to InformationWeek, he explained the issue. "If a 
Web site includes third-party JavaScript like stat counters, 
advertisement scripts, [or] banners called from third-party servers, the 
Web site is at risk of having to rely on the third party as well for 
overall security assurance of its Web site," he said.

[...]


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Received on Mon Nov 03 2008 - 00:28:04 PST

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