Re: Special case in investigation

From: António (amateusat_private)
Date: Mon Sep 10 2001 - 08:11:07 PDT

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    > Hello All,
    > 
    >	I have just encountered a really special case where I think it may
    be
    > really interesting for you all. I also hope that you can give me some
    clues.
    > 
    >	My site got attacked where the IIS 4.0 web site got defaced but it
    returns
    > to normal within 15 minutes time. Really back to normal. No automatic
    tools
    > installed and no one performed the manual replacement of the web site.
    Also
    > no intrusion attempt trace can be found in the IIS log, firewall log and
    IDS
    > log.
    > 
    >	The IIS web server and NT 4.0 machine already patched and firewall
    only
    > permit 80, 25 port to that machine.
    
    You should check the software that is accessible through your webserver
    (ColdFusion, iisadmin & iissamples, etc).
    Even if you have iis fully patched, those applications also have
    vulnerabilities, and you should check if those are also patched.
    You should also check the patches for smtp (port 25).
    Smtp also have vulnerabilities.
    
    > 
    >	Basic search in directory cannot find any other file being modified
    during
    > the suspected period of time. Only one web page being changed at that
    period
    > of time.
    > 
    >	BTW, is there any method the hacker can penetrate to the web site
    and
    > attack the web which already been patched on IDA-IDQ, unicode and unicode
    
    > decode. In other words, there should be no obvious way the attacker can
    > upload the file.
    
    There are more vulnerabilities beside those one, but if you have patched
    against those, I assume that all the others are patched.
    
    >	So is there anything I'm missing? Is there any tools that permit
    the hacker
    > to attack my site?
    > 
    >	If a person really got into the site, can they remove particular
    user ip
    > address from the IIS log? can he remove particular person's query from
    the
    > event log of NT? Can I confirm that the IIS log is reliable?
    
    Yes, they can change the Logs, if they have permissions to them. Check the
    file permissions to directory and files.
    
    > 
    >	If a user got the NT password, is that helpful to the attack over
    port 80?
    
    Yes, it is, and for port 25 (smtp) also ;)
    
    >	Some of my admin suggested that time bomb may be used in this
    attack cause
    > the web site returned to normal in less than 15 minutes without any
    trace.
    > Can we identify that?
    
    You should check the services running in your system to see if you detect
    something strange, for example.
    
    >	Can any one give me some suggestions and clues? Is there anything
    I'm
    > thinking wrongly?
    
    Hmm, you should check the entries in the firewall, not only for suspicious
    accesses, but also for some sort of access.
    About the IDS software, i don't know what software you're using, but the
    recently discovered bug (%u) that prevents the IDS software from detecting
    known signatures could be the solution. Check IDS software patches.
    You should also consider the fact that this could be an inside job...
    You should think in a full forensic analisys and a security and penetration
    audit.
    If the webserver was in fact compromised, the hacker surely left backdoors
    in it.
    
    Powerslave
    "Some men see things as they are, and say 'Why'?
    I see things that never were, and say 'Why not'?"
    
    >	Really an interesting case.
    > 
    >	Thanks.
    > 
    > Ricci
    > 
    > 
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