Re: Netscape Communicator 4.5 can read local files

From: Ryan Russell (Ryan.Russellat_private)
Date: Tue Nov 24 1998 - 20:23:25 PST

  • Next message: Trev: "Re: Netscape Communicator 4.5 can read local files"

    It's vastly different.  Did you try creating c:\test.txt and putting
    something in it, and going to that page?  Notice that it pops
    the first line in a dialog box.  That means it has that info
    under programmatic contol, and can send it across the network
    back to the web server, exactly as claimed in the original
    advisory.
    
    Contrast that with (you) opening your c: drive with Communicator.
    You can browse local files, but only you get to see the contents,
    and that window isn't under any kind of programmatic control
    from other windows... at least that's how it's supposed to work.
    
    It's similar to the Java sandbox concept.  Local and signed
    content are "trusted" and can do whatever they like, whereas
    remotely loaded content are "untrusted" and aren't supposed
    to be able to perform certain operations.  When you (well,
    Netscape and Microsoft) try to mix the two, invariably mistakes
    will be made, and leaks will happen between the two.
    
    
                             Ryan
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Hi -
    this appears to be no different then typing c:\ in the location of any
    browser  hardly a security hole in my opinion the test site did not
    prove that this is a potential or current problem.
    
    Bill
    
    >Demonstration is available at:
    >http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1711/b6.html
    >
    >The Javascript code is:
    >
    >sl=window.open("wysiwyg://1/file:///C|/");
    >sl2=sl.window.open();
    >sl2.location="javascript:s='<SCRIPT>b=\"Here is the beginning of your
    >file: \";var f = new java.io.File(\"C:\\\\\\\\test.txt\");var fis = new
    >java.io.FileInputStream(f); i=0; while ( ((a=fis.read()) != -1) &&
    >(i<100) ) { b += String.fromCharCode(a);i++;}alert(b);</'+'SCRIPT>'";
    >
    



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