Computer Help Community

Community

Cyber Tech Help Community

New Tutorials

PC Tutorials

New Downloads

PC Downloads

Member Testimonials

Open Member Quote   Back a couple of years ago when I first found this forum I read and read other's problems and learned a bit. Then suddenly one day I had problems and turned to Cyber Tech Help for assistance and my problems were solved. Since then I have kept a number of programs on my computer....run them frequently and keep them updated. During this time its nearly as if spyware, virus and other nasties were never developed. My point is simply this follow the advise you get here...be deligent in using what is suggested and the internet will be a much nicer place. Its only when I see a friend's computer who doesn't use any "protection" that I remember there were such things as pop ups. Thank you Cyber Tech Help - Webster  Close Member Quote
Member Testimonials
MY CYBER TECH HELP

LATEST TOPICS

Tech Help Community

Free Antivirus Scan

Free Virus Scan and a listing of the top 10 viruses in the wild - Free Antivirus Scan
Free Online Antivirus Scan

File Extension Database

Find what program a filetype belongs to in our searchable File Extension Database.
File Extension Database

Services

See what services Cyber Tech Help can offer your business or website: CTH Services
CTH Services

Related MS Links

Related Links
Cyber Tech Help Community

To the top of the page to top

 



Windows weakness can lead to network traffic hijacks

Latest News Latest News | News ArchiveNews Archive | Cyber Tech Help News RSS Feed!

Windows weakness can lead to network traffic hijacksWindows weakness can lead to network traffic hijacks

Posted by: Tweaker
Date added: 08:49, 26th March 2007 GMT
Source: C/NET News

Microsoft Windows

At the ShmooCon hacker conference, researchers with security firm IOActive claimed a design bug in the system used by Windows PCs to obtain proxy settings could let attackers hijack traffic. Internet Explorer on Windows PCs by default searches for a proxy server using the Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol and an attacker can easily register a proxy server on a network using the Windows Internet Naming Service, and other network services including the Domain Name System. "I can put up the equivalent of a detour sign on your network and redirect all the traffic," said Chris Paget, director of research and development at IOActive.

If an attack is successful, all traffic on a network will flow through the attacker's proxy meaning the attacker can access all the data, redirect and manipulate it to his hearts content. Fortunately, an attack is possible only with access to the target network, not from the Internet: "The biggest risk inside a corporation would come from a malicious insider. This is not worthy of mass panic or critical advisories.

Microsoft acknowledged the problem in a support article on its TechNet Web site: "If an entity can surreptitiously register a WPAD entry in DNS or in WINSclients may be able to route their Internet traffic through a malicious proxy server. In its support article, Microsoft lists steps for network administrators to address the WPAD problem. The steps reserve static WPAD DNS host names and to reserve WPAD WINS name records. As a result, an attacker's malicious WPAD name will no longer work, which will foil the malicious proxy trick, Paget said.

News source: News.com

Tools:  Tools: Post a comment | Link to this news item | Send to a friend | Submit News

 

Post a commentPost a comment

Error: You are not logged in.

In order to leave comments to news articles you must be a Cyber Tech Help Member.

Registration is completely free!  Register to become a member!  Register to become a member

Along with access to leave comments to news articles you will be able to ask any computing questions you might have on the Cyber Tech Help Forums.

 

[ To the top of the page To top | Latest News Latest News | News Archive News Archive | Cyber Tech Help News RSS Feed! ]