Re: IE exposing URLs to msn.com and alexa.com?

From: shimi (shimiat_private)
Date: Thu Jun 19 2003 - 09:54:05 PDT

  • Next message: Hall, Philip: "RE: Java class obfuscation"

    That's nothing. 404 errors, all of them, are reported to MSN with their 
    "autosearch" feature, which, of course, passes a referrer...
    
    On Tue, 17 Jun 2003, Stewart Smith wrote:
    
    > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
    > Hash: SHA1
    > 
    > Has anyone been able to verify this?
    > 
    > http://www.secunia.com/advisories/8955/
    > 
    > Internet Explorer Exposes Sensitive Information
    > 
    > Release Date:
    > 2003-06-06
    > 
    > Critical:
    > Moderately critical
    > 
    > Impact:
    > Exposure of sensitive information
    > 
    > Where:
    >  From remote
    > 
    > Software:
    > Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
    > 
    > Description:
    > A vulnerability has been identified in Internet Explorer, which exposes 
    > sensitive information to "msn.com" and "alexa.com".
    > 
    >   While this is a known "feature" when the "Show Related Links" option 
    > is activated in Internet Explorer, there is a bug, so that Internet 
    > Explorer will keep transmitting the information to "msn.com" and 
    > "alexa.com" after "Show Related Links" has been de-activated. This 
    > occurs whenever "Ctrl+R" is used to reload a page.
    > 
    >   To make matters worse, it has been confirmed that this behaviour also 
    > affects SSL enabled pages. One thing is that Microsoft has chosen to 
    > make a "feature", which reveals this information to "msn.com" and 
    > "alexa.com", but the fact that information, which was supposed to be 
    > protected by SSL and sent only to one site, is sent in plain text to a 
    > third party ("msn.com" and "alexa.com") is of great concern.
    > 
    >   The data transmitted to "msn.com" and "alexa.com" is the complete URL. 
    > In some cases this could contain sensitive information such as 
    > username, password, session id, search string, "secret paths", and more.
    > 
    >   The vulnerability has been confirmed for Internet Explorer 6 on 
    > Windows 2000 and Windows XP with all Service Packs and hotfixes.
    > 
    >   It is Microsoft that controls who else than "msn.com" should receive 
    > this information. Microsoft could at any time choose to send this 
    > information to another party than "alexa.com".
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > Solution:
    > We recommend that you filter traffic at your perimeter so that no data 
    > may be sent to "msn.com" and "alexa.com".
    > 
    >   Make sure that you don't use the "Show Related Links" feature or that 
    > you close your browser after you have used it.
    > 
    >   For other alternative solutions see "Other References".
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > Reported by / credits:
    > Mike Shepherd
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > Changelog:
    > 2003-06-09 Minor correction. Added link to alternative solutions.
    > 
    > 
    > 
    > Other References:
    > http://www.imilly.com/alexa.htm#subvert
    > 
    > Stewart Smith
    > stewartat_private
    > Programmer / UNIX Sys Admin
    > 
    > Gamma Solutions Pty Ltd
    > Monash Corporate Centre,
    > Unit 11, 20 Duerdin Street,
    > Clayton, Victoria 3168
    > Phone:  +61 3 9562 7755
    > Fax:    +61 3 9562 7766
    > Mobile: +61 4 3884 4332
    > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
    > Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (Darwin)
    > 
    > iD8DBQE+7mZZFtJC9tN9SokRAo1zAJ93g0roDJlfeZXSI5CQXY99X5t+ZgCgl9Wq
    > kK3vp6lnViXndwoYPkXrj0E=
    > =3zvI
    > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
    > 
    
    -- 
    
      Best regards,
         Shimi
    
    
    ----
    
       "Outlook is a massive flaming horrid blatant security violation, which
        also happens to be a mail reader."
    
       "Sure UNIX is user friendly; it's just picky about who its friends are."
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Jun 21 2003 - 10:11:27 PDT