Advisory #226 - OS X, Multiple News

[Sunnet Beskerming Alert mailing list]

Sûnnet Beskerming Alert List Advisory #226

You are receiving this message because you have subscribed to our  
Information Security Alert Mailing List, or have been selected for a  
specific one-off copy.  If you believe that you are receiving this  
message in error, please contact info@... to resolve the  
error.

Why not upgrade to get same day notification on security threats?  
Details and rates available online -
(http://www.beskerming.com/premium/generic_advisory.html).

Why not go the next step and get delivery tailored just for your  
company?
(http://www.beskerming.com/premium/focussed_advisory.html)


Contents
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1. SECURITY
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1 OS X (Multiple)
        - Remote Hacker Automatic Control
        - Time Since Discovery - 1 Day
=======================================
/*
        - Remote or Local - Can it be achieved through a network or does it  
require physical access?
        - Hacker - The bad guy
        - Manual or Automatic  - Does the vulnerability need to be manually  
performed, or can it be automated?
        - Control, Denial of Service or Data Theft - Will the hacker get  
control of your system / website, will they prevent you from using  
it, or will they steal data.
*/
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2.    NEWS
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2.1 It's Just Business
2.2 Office Holes Compromise US Government
=====================================

1. SECURITY

1.1 OS X (Multiple) - Remote Hacker Automatic Control

        -- Products Affected --
        OS X 10.3.x (Panther)
        OS X 10.4.x (Tiger)
        OS X Server 10.3.x
        OS X Server 10.4.x

        -- Technical Description --
        AFP Client - Privilege escalation due to poor parameter filtering.
        AirPort - Arbitrary code execution for authenticated user due to  
buffer overflow when malformed commands are issued.
        CarbonCore - Arbitrary code execution for local users due to poor  
interprocess command handling.
        diskdev_cmds - Arbitrary code execution risk or Denial of Service  
when opening malformed UFS disk images.
        fetchmail - Information disclosure due to passwords being sent in  
plaintext, even if TLS or equivalent is being used.
        ftpd - Arbitrary code execution by authenticated users due to buffer  
overflow when commands with globbing characters are issued.
        GNU Tar - Arbitrary code execution or denial of service when  
interacting with malicious tar archives.
        Help Viewer - Arbitrary code execution of denial of service when  
opening a maliciously-named help file due to format string  
vulnerability.
        HID Family - Information disclosure due to leaking of console  
keyboard events to other local users.
        Installer - Arbitrary code execution or denial of service when  
opening  a maliciously-named Installer package due to format string  
vulnerability.
        Kerberos - Arbitrary code execution due to previously disclosed  
vulnerabilities.
        Libinfo - Arbitrary code execution or denial of service when  
visiting websites or if RPC service is enabled due to poor error  
handling.
        Login Window - Multiple privilege escalation and authentication  
bypass issues due to poor parameter handling.
        network_cmds - Arbitrary code execution or denial of service due to  
poor handling of RTSP traffic (buffer overflow).
        SMB - Privilege escalation due to poor parameter handling.
        System Configuration - Arbitrary code execution for local users due  
to poor parameter handling by utilities that have higher privilege  
levels.
        URLMount - Information disclosure due to user parameters being sent  
in cleartext to SMB servers.
        VideoConference - Arbitrary code execution due to heap buffer  
overflow when handling crafted SIP packets.
        WebDAV - Privilege escalation due to poor parameter handling when  
mounting WebDAV filesystems.
        WebFoundation - Information disclosure due to cross domain access  
cookies.

        -- Description --
        Apple has released Security Update 2007-004 for OS X 10.3 (Panther)  
and 10.4 (Tiger), incorporating fixes for a number of serious  
vulnerabilities, including numerous that could allow a remote  
attacker the ability to control a vulnerable system, as well as  
others that could allow malicious users to increase their privilege  
level or access information outside of their normal rights.  Due to  
the significant number of applications and vulnerabilities patched,  
it is considered critical that all users apply the update as soon as  
possible.

        -- Recommended Action --
        Apply Security Update 2007-004 as soon as possible, via the source  
link below, or by using the Software Update option under the Apple Menu.

        -- Source --
        (Paid subscription required to access)
       
        -- Updates Available --
        (Paid subscription required to access)

        -- External Tracking Data --
        (Paid subscription required to access)

        -- Threat Matrix --
                        U O
        Home User 10 10 (Highly Critical)
        Corporate 10 10 (Highly Critical)

=======================================
/*
Threat Matrix:
        U - User
        O - Operator
        Harmless - 0 ----- 10 - Highly Critical
*/
=======================================

2. NEWS

2.1 It's Just Business

Information Technology and Information Security companies with stable  
client bases tend to be quite happy to sit where they are and push  
through business based on new competitive contracts (such as  
Government contracts), and new business that emerges over time.  With  
a potential client base that has been in strong growth for an  
extended period, most companies don't tend to tread on the toes of  
each other in trying to drive new business.

One company has recently had some of their clients come under the  
attention of competing Information Security companies and it is  
something that they have taken personal offence to.  It is claimed  
that the competing company has been scraping lists of companies that  
are clients of the first company from various Internet sources and  
then contacting them to try and convince them to change to their  
services.

Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

What really upset the first company was the claims that were being  
used in an effort to entice their customers away.  Claiming that the  
report cited as an example was effectively false, they enlisted their  
law firm to try and force their competitors away from contacting  
their clients.  Unfortunately, statistics can be made to support any  
claim, and the sternly worded lawyer's letter doesn't actually  
counter any of the claims (relying on the first company's own counter  
to the report).  In fact, the statements within the letter indicate  
that the second company has been successful in winning away business  
from the first company ("damage to the plaintiff resulting from  
breach of that [contractual] relationship [with their client]").

While both companies may have products and services that are well  
regarded by various metrics, the exchange makes the first company  
appear to be acting in the manner of a spoiled child.  While the  
actions of the second company might be questionable by some, it is  
just a part of business and is not an ethical nightmare - as some  
have chosen to view it.  All it takes is a look at people like Gates,  
Ellison, McNealy, and Jobs to see how they built and enforced their  
empires to see that treading on toes and dubious claims is part of  
tech business.  Unfortunately, such actions actually cause harm in  
Information Security, especially when questionable statistics are  
used to back claims (of both sides).

There are plenty of expensive reports that have been written purely  
to support the claims of those who funded the research, but a  
developing argument over what appears to be choice of methodology  
doesn't help anyone.  To the uninformed end user, it doesn't make a  
lot of sense.

It also doesn't make sense when companies that claim to be selling  
secure products are shown publicly to be selling nothing more than  
snake oil.  Consumers and businesses seeking to purchase security  
products and services are left even more in doubt.

Even banks that should know better about securing their own systems  
can sometimes be found to be unknowingly spewing spam from within  
their networks.  Just one of the latest reports of a major Fortune  
1000 company with infected systems within their network has been of a  
very large US bank that has been very vocal about their 'secure'  
online services (rhymes with LiteC).  Other banks aren't faring much  
better, with ABN Amro having a range of customers falling victim to a  
sophisticated phishing attack.  Like a number of European banks, ABN  
Amro is regarded as having quite a robust two-factor authentication  
system in place, so the successful phishing attack is a clear  
indicator of two things.  Firstly, phishers have caught up to what is  
supposed to be the 'best' in the market.  Secondly, what is 'best' in  
the market still isn't good enough to protect financial data behind.


2.2 Office Holes Compromise US Government

In a surprising move, the US State Department has released  
information about a network compromise that resulted in serious  
information theft and partial network shutdowns until it was  
resolved.  A historical attack, coming around the time that North  
Korea was conducting missile tests, what is interesting about the  
case is that it demonstrated a targeted attack against specific users  
by using an unknown (at that time) Microsoft Word flaw.

The targeted email, it is claimed, used an attached document that  
contained Congressional material related to the Asian region as  
incentive for the victims to open the document.  Apparently the  
targeting worked, as at least one victim did open the document,  
granting hackers access to the State Department's networks.

While it took Microsoft 8 weeks to provide a patch for the  
vulnerability (from the time of infection), it was discovered that  
the network penetrations had expanded, to include numerous Asian  
sites, as well as a number of sites on the Continental US.  There is  
also the risk that a number of penetrations have never been identified.

As far as current flaws go, Microsoft is still working flat out on  
developing a robust patch for the current flaw affecting the  
Microsoft DNS Server.  At least five worm variants are now known to  
be attacking this vulnerability.

=======================================

Sincerely,

Sûnnet Beskerming Team
info@...
Sûnnet Beskerming Pty. Ltd.
Adelaide, Australia
http://www.beskerming.com
Tel: [phone]

** Sûnnet Beskerming Pty. Ltd. **

Established in mid 2004, Sûnnet Beskerming Pty. Ltd. is the sister  
company to Jongsma & Jongsma Pty. Ltd., and was formed to develop and  
commercialise the research coming out of Jongsma & Jongsma Pty. Ltd..  
Sûnnet Beskerming Pty. Ltd. is an Information Security specialist  
and, in conjunction with the tools developed by Jongsma & Jongsma  
Pty. Ltd., provides total security solutions and services, from the  
perimeter to internal data stores, including web application security  
and security testing and analysis.
_______________________________________________
Alertmailinglist mailing list
Alertmailinglist@...
http://skiifwrald.com/mailman/listinfo/alertmailinglist_skiifwrald.com