Stock portfolio sent via clear text in Datek Streamer® application

From: Chris Grout (cgroutat_private)
Date: Fri Nov 09 2001 - 18:21:46 PST

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    ________________________________________
    S4R - A Managed Services Company
    Security - Systems - Storage - Solutions
    http://www.s4r.com
    infoat_private
    ________________________________________
    
    
    Title:  Stock portfolio sent via clear text in Datek Streamer®
    application
    Date:	November 9, 2001
    
    
    1.  Description
    
    Although the user's primary Datek account page is protected using a
    secured SSL tunnel, upon launching the "Portfolio" portion of
    Streamer®, the user's entire portfolio composition is transmitted
    from Datek to the application in clear text.  This allows anyone able
    to access the data stream between the client and the Datek's server
    to view client portfolio's and determine their current portfolio
    values.
    
    
    2.  Description of vulnerable systems
    
    http://www.datek.com/education/streamer.html
    
    Streamer® allows Datek investors the ability to graphically monitor
    and manage their online stock portfolio's.  This issue was first
    discovered on October 16, 2001 and is still present as of November 9,
    2001.  It is unknown how long prior to this the issue existed.
    
    
    3.  Flawed/Vulnerable process
    
    When you connect to the Datek Web Site (http://www.datek.com) click
    on login, you are then given the choice to either go to the
    "investment site" or to the Streamer® application. In either case,
    you connect to an SSL site https://investments.datek.com. Upon
    choosing Streamer®, either from the initial login screen, or from the
    resource pull down on the investment site, another SSL protected
    Browser window is opened for the Streamer Java applet. Yet, the
    Applet itself is download via HTTP.
    
    Once Streamer® is downloaded and the client launches the "Portfolio"
    monitoring application, an HTTP GET request containing the user's
    login ID, as well as some additional information, is sent to
    STREAMERAPP.DATEK.COM.  STREAMERAPP.DATEK.COM then responds back in
    clear text with user's login ID and the entire portfolio composition,
    and subsequent information.  Specifically, the stock symbol and the
    number of shares of each owned.  Using this information and current
    stock prices, its extremely easy to determine the client's portfolio
    valuation.
    
    
    4.  Example
    
    Below is a sample payload of a packet from STREAMERAPP.DATEK.COM to
    the client:
    
    S.......BARNES82145...3...........CSCO....142600....Cisco Sys Inc
    Com........Q....22700... Qwest Communications Intl In
    Com........CHK....16412....Chesapeake Energy Corp
    Com..S.G.....EXTR.A*.\.A+.=.A+.=......Jah....\....[.A733.A#...A-....q.
    A$Q..A+.=..S.%.....^INX.D.<.......D.R=.D..=.D./\..x..S.<.....CHK.=u...
    A.ff.@..H........H.........).@..H.@.(..@.....n..S.:.....Q.At...A.p..A.
    .H......Z.............A....A.33.A.\)..n..S./.....^INDU.F.........>....
    .&..F..=.F.=..F..q..x..S.G.....CSCO.A..{.A.ff.A.ff........H...........
    A..\.A.33.A.....q.A..{.A.ff..S.'.....^COMPX.D......"..D....D....D.....
    x.....
    
    This discloses the username is BARNES82145, they currently hold
    142,600 shares of Cisco, 22,700 shares of Qwest and 16,412 shares of
    Chesapeake Energy Corp.
    
    CSCO @$19.2 * 142,600 shares = $2,737,920
    Q @$11.85 * 22,700 shares = $268,995
    CHK @$6.83 * 16,412 shares = $112,093
    
    Total stock portfolio value of $3,119,008
    
    Since it is common for the username to be the client's last name
    followed by numbers, its also becomes possible to determine who this
    specific user is.  And since humans are creatures of habit, they are
    likely to use the same password elsewhere.
    
    
    5.  Concerns
    
    Users of the Datek Streamer application are led to believe that their
    personal account information is secured throughout the use of this
    application, which is not the case.  Our belief is that this loss of
    privacy presents a serious breach of confidentiality of account
    information.
    
    In addition, HTTP traffic is often stored for extended periods of
    time by proxy servers, third party logging/reporting software, or
    intrusion detection systems and therefore even after this issue is
    addressed, the private information that was exposed may still be
    available.
    
    We believe this is a serious problem.
    
    
    6.  Vendor response
    
    Datek has acknowledged that the above described problem exists and
    that it affects its Streamer® application.  Datek has not provided us
    a timeline regarding when this issue will be resolved.
    
    
    7.  History
    
    Discovered by Chris Grout on October 14, 2001.
    Additional forensics by Scott C. Kennedy and Todd Suiter on October
    15, 2001.
    Initial contact with Datek on October 16, 2001.
    Informed Datek of our intention to announce on November 1, 2001.
    
    
    ________________________________________________
    
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    Additional information about S4R can be found at www.s4r.com.
    
    
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