RE: Hexyn / Securax Advisory #22 - ICQ Forced Auto-Add Users

From: Chris (wickedc@suscom-maine.net)
Date: Fri Aug 24 2001 - 21:13:19 PDT

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    >I suspect this bug is also exploitable from HTML email by including the
    >magic ICQ URL in an <IFRAME> tag embedded in the message.
    >
    >Richard
    
    This could also be exploited through html using the refresh meta tag...
    When viewing the originating email of this thread in the eudora 5.0 preview 
    window, (while "Microsoft's viewer" [which is really just IE] was enabled 
    in the options) the META tag was read and executed and the preview window 
    was refreshed to show "[ICQ User] UIN= Email= NickName= FirstName= LastName="
    
    I suspect this information was displayed rather then executed due to the 
    fact that i don't have ICQ installed on this machine, and therefore no mime 
    type exists for such content on this machine. I was unable to test this 
    with ICQ installed since windows' and AOL's programming (mirabillis is 
    owned by AOL, don't you know?) makes ICQ crash every time its started.
    
    However, this shows that its possible for a refresh meta tag to effect a 
    PREVIEW window and execute the add user content. Can We Say, "Email Tracking"?
    
    This could be (scarily) used by spammers to track valid email addresses. 
    With a simple program to interface with ICQ or an ICQ dummy client (that 
    only listens for "User has added you" messages), the spammer would be able 
    to verify the email address through the email address listed in the ICQ 
    user's profile, the spammer now also has the user's ICQ number, giving them 
    yet another medium to spam over.
    
    Just more scary they're-all-out-to-get-you things to think about =)
    
    - Chris
    
    
    >-----Original Message-----
    >From: AreS [mailto:ares@security-downloads.com]
    >Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001 6:14 PM
    >To: BUGTRAQat_private
    >Subject: Hexyn / Securax Advisory #22 - ICQ Forced Auto-Add Users
    >
    >
    >Hexyn / Securax Advisory #22 - ICQ Forced Auto-Add Users
    >
    >Topic: ICQ Forced Auto-Add Users
    >Announced: 2001-08-17
    >Affects: ICQ 200x* up to 2001a Alpha
    >
    >DISCLAIMER:
    >***********
    >THE ENTIRE ADVISORY HAS BEEN  BASED  UPON   TRIAL  AND  ERROR  RESULTS.
    >THEREFORE WE CANNOT ENSURE YOU THE INFORMATION BELOW IS  100%  CORRECT.
    >THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT  PRIOR  NOTICE.
    >
    >I. Problem Description
    >**********************
    >ICQ is a popular and free chat program, with over 108,022,319 users all
    >over the world.  When ICQ is  installed,  it  adds  a  Content-Type  to
    >Microsoft Internet Exploder, the "application/x-icq" type. When IE
    >receives  "Content-Type: application/x-icq" from  a web  server and
    >following content:
    



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