MS06-042 Related Internet Explorer 'Crash' is Exploitable

Date:
August 22, 2006

Severity:

If you haven't patched your Windows machine to fix the August vulnerabilities, better get to it now.  Network scanning for the Server Service vulnerability is picking up, and it is now a matter of days or hours before a worm is distributed.

Here is what security experts are advising in relation to the MS06-040 / Server Service vulnerabiltiy:

---- Identify PCs vulnerable to attack by running the free scanning tool offered by eEye Digital Security. The tool, which comes in two versions -- one capable of scanning 16 machines simultaneously, the other up to 256 computers -- can be downloaded free of charge from the eEye site.

Don't Use 3rd Party Patches, Disable Active Scripting instead...

There are some publicly available 3rd party patches available for the createTextRange() bug. However, we recommend waiting for the official fix from Microsoft. Before the patch is available, one workaround is to disable the Active scripting from Internet Explorer.

Antinny worm creates data havoc in Japan by infecting Winny Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing Program

You sit at your desk at work and come up with a great idea, "Hey, I heard about this cool utility that allows me to share files over the internet...".  You download it and install it (your company's security policy allows end users to install software...) on your machine, open it up and try to use it.  Amazingly, it works (your company does not care about outbound connections to the internet...) and you are connected to the Peer to Peer network and can start sharing and downloading files.

Seem harmless?  Well, take a look at the story below where this type of behavior, combined with terrible corporate information security, is creating humongous problems in Japan.  How would you like to be responsible for sharing Top-secret or business data with the world?  This could cause a great deal of disruption in your life, to say the least...  Is it really worth it?

Antinny worm creates data havoc in Japan by infecting Winny Peer to Peer (P2P) File Sharing Program - Security Park Mar 22 2006 12:33PM GMT [Computer security news - news headlines from around the web.]

Top-secret military information, business documents of hundreds of corporate firms , personal and confidential data related to thousands of patients, complete information of Yahoo shopping mall, high profile information of Liberal Democratic Party and thousands more are all floating currently on the internet, creating an enormous flood of information leakage in Japan.

For more the complete story, click HERE.

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