Windows Vulnerability in Animated Cursor Handling 338
MoreDruid writes "Secunia reports a vulnerability in Windows Animated Cursor Handling. According to the linked article, the rating is "extremely critical". Microsoft has put up their own advisory on the subject, confirming this is a vulnerability that affects Windows 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista. The exploit has already been used in the wild. From the Secunia page: The vulnerability is caused due to an unspecified error in the handling of animated cursors and can e.g. be exploited by tricking a user into visiting a malicious website using Internet Explorer or opening a malicious e-mail message. Successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary code."
First Pwndst (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:First Pwndst (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:First Pwndst (Score:5, Interesting)
Even if the user were to download the cursors and run them locally the effect would be minimized because, by default, a user, even a member of Administrator, is jailed. The user's profile would be vulnerable at that point, but system stuff would not be.
You can't stop vulnerabilities, but you can mitigate the result, and Microsoft has actually done a really damned good job at this in Vista.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I believe you're always in "protected mode;" even when you're on an admin account you're still not in "super user" mode.
Re:First Pwndst (Score:4, Interesting)
The UAC dialog would not be shown in this case. The UAC box only is shown when a process is initially created, to define the level of permissions the process will run under. A process cannot elevate it's permissions while it is already running. If the process tries to access a restriced area of the filesystem/registry etc while it is already running under these permissions the API call will be denied.
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FIrefox? (Score:2)
Re:First Pwndst (Score:5, Interesting)
Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:4, Informative)
It seems like every time someone comments about a security hole on Slashdot the response is along the lines of "Well, if this doesn't result in a root exploit, it isn't all that bad". If you agree with that statement, then go ahead and issue "rm -rf ~".
Computers input, store, manipulate, and output data. My data is important to me. Arbitrary code execution regardless of whether in my user context or a context with superuser privileges is a threat to that data.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
You're missing the point, so are many others. If it runs as root/admin it means it can easily makes itself completely invisible to the system. Fake infos given to an anti-virus, etc. Completely stealth. It also means it can spy you silently in the background. If an exploit is root, the only way to detect it is from another system. You simply can't trust your OS anymore, unless you reinstall everything from scratch. What makes you think a local exploit would detect
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Informative)
Anyway, I think the bigger issue, though, is that root is bad. Not just for multi-user systems. The reason being because most malicious attacks are not aimed at running "rm -rf ~". They can, but that is not really in the interest of most of the people writing these exploits. They are interested in installing spyware, malware, and rootkits...all of which require root/administrator privileges. Other things too, like getting into the system logs and messing with memory owned by other processes, that help a cracker find and take advantage of exploits also require elevated privileges. So if your exploitable program simply runs as an unprivileged user you can get rid of a lot of these problems. It won't get rid of all problems, but it would help significantly.
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:4, Insightful)
Let's see.
Well, your competition has fared better so far - no critical vulnerabilities, and a lower number of unpatched ones. Opera is doing particularly well, it seems. It's still obvious from those graphs it's not all roses, but c'mon... surely Microsoft, with its resources, can do better at security than some small company from Norway?
If you mean sandboxing, then it's only a half-measure, and not something I'd raise in this case if I were you. It is essentially saying, "we can't write secure code, so let's at least sandbox it". Not that sandbox is a bad idea, I very much like it, but this bug shows that more, shall we say, traditional approaches to security (like writing good code) were not explored as much as they could've been.
It already haven't been. The guys who found the exploit say [determina.com] that they discovered it in December 2006, and immediately alerted Microsoft. They did not publicly disclosed the bug then, and it only surfaced now when it turned out that there were already exploits out in the wild for it. So it's been more than 3 months now, for a bug which should be rated critical under any system (remote code execution is a big deal). And yet we still have no patch. That is not an acceptable way of handling such a serious problem.
It cannot erase my data, sure. Who but an angsty script kiddy would want to destroy my system, anyway? It can still read data from my home folder though, can't it? Things like, say, accounting software databases which are often kept under "My Documents" - could be handy, those credit card numbers.
Or one could just fashion a zombie machine. I would imagine that IE, even in protected mode, can open TCP connections to any host and on any port, right? SMTP not excluded?
HOW? Because, you know, your very own [microsoft.com] security advisory only has such pearls as "Do not visit untrusted websites or view unsolicited email". It says nothing about how to turn the feature off, and whether it is indeed even possible. There were a couple of posts in this discussion about how it can't be done at all, but if you know otherwise, please share (and I'm sure that if you can get that SA updated, it won't hurt either)!
Possibly because e.g. Opera (which I use personally; can't vouch for Firefox) is safe enough to view any website without risk, as it should be? Exploits happen, of course, but much rarer than they do with IE, and the Opera guys are really good at getting them patched fast.
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Insightful)
http://www.checkpoint.com/defense/advisories/publ
But, the great minds at Microsoft and their Trusted Computing efforts appear to be spending more time on marketing and public relations and less time on even attempting to make a better product. It's bad enough that the mouse code is an attack vector but to just put a band aide on it and send it right into the Windows Vista product is just plain bad.
Remember, Vista was said to be the most secure operating system available. Not the most secure version of Windows but the most secure operating system. And yet they are letting relatively small bits of code like this mouse code get through their masterful security techniques. Well, I guess that is why they've decided their security system will be based on a billion sandboxes instead of secure model for the whole... What a joke.
LoB
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Funny)
Successful.
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Funny)
"In Protected Mode, Internet Explorer 7 in Windows Vista cannot modify user or system files and settings without user consent." -- From the Windows Vista: Features Explained site.
Unless of course the user has been driven insane by all the "Cancel or Allow?" questions and would readily click "Allow" even in a dialog box asking, "Your computer would like to strangle you with its power cord. Cancel or Allow?"
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
It is on by default for all but the trusted zone.
That leaves at least 95% of the installed base of desktops vulnerable.
Or you know.. not..
There seems to be about 15% of us that are just so crazy we switched our browsers to Firefox or Opera... I would recommend it.
Re:Why would my cursor run as root? (Score:4, Interesting)
IE protected mode (Score:2, Informative)
Protected mode IE *does* have the ability to read anything
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Re:IE protected mode (Score:4, Interesting)
Surprise, Windows Listed as Most Secure OS (Score:5, Funny)
Re: Surprise, Windows Listed as Most Secure OS (Score:5, Funny)
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IMHO, while the actual exploit might be new, haven't things like animated cursors always been among things you wanted to avoid due to the malware they come with? This just makes them worse.
RonB
Pfff. Locked in a vault? (Score:5, Funny)
Hardly! (Score:2)
That's far too much technology that needs to be trused. What if the protective equipment is compromise, and the battlemechs dig the computer up using the mines and the lasers, and then install a Sony rootkit on it?
No, the most secure computer would be one unharmed while eve
Good heavens... (Score:4, Funny)
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While you're at it, pull out the cable attached to the power supply....Windows Vista Ultimate Security!
This old? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This old? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This old? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Someone got too greedy? They targeted a rare individual that was more vigilant about their machine?
Re:This old? (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
That's true, but it's true of any exploit list. After all, how would the list maintainers know if something were secretly being exploited for years?
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What makes you think they didn't?
Re:This old? (Score:4, Informative)
So, their problems with animated cursors are really old, back to the NT 4 era.
Re: (Score:2)
WTF is
Oblig. (Score:3, Funny)
Actually (Score:2)
In Soviet Russia, you pwn cursors!
See, since that doesn't exactly work with the other Soviet Russia jokes, there's no reason to post it here. You pwn cursors and cursors pwn you in the US. Now, if we replaced cursors with mice and you with your food, then we have a more appropriate USSR joke.
Correction (Score:3, Funny)
Correction: In Soviet Russia, you pwn cursors! So you might want to live in Soviet Russia... Sorry.
The Solution is Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Nice, so basically I'm not supposed to read any emails from people I don't know. Sounds like a viable solution.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
As a best practice, users should always exercise extreme caution when opening or viewing unsolicited emails and email attachments from both known and unknown sources.
On top of that, if you read further it starts to sound like a scheme they're using to try to sell more copies of Windows Vista.
Mitigating Factors for Animated Cursor Vulnerability
Customers who are using Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista are protected from currently known web based attacks due to Internet Explorer 7.0 protected mode. For more information on Internet Explorer Protected Mode see the following Web Site.
By default, Outlook 2007 uses Microsoft Word to display e-mail messages which protects customers from the HTML e-mail preview and attack vector.
Who needs animated cursors, anyway?
Re: (Score:2)
The real solution is to disconnect your computer from teh intarweb.
Re:The Solution is Amazing (Score:5, Funny)
Vista Security. (Score:2)
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Re:Vista Security. (Score:5, Funny)
Nope. I watched their lips and every time they said, "Vista will be the most secure Microsoft operating system ever."
I think this was carefully worded by them so they could say it with an honest face.
Re: (Score:2)
Only affects rendering using the IE engine... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
Guess they can't write the obvious, "Use an alternative browser and/or email client.". Hah, what a Dubya-ian world they're living in.
So I'm assuming the way to exploit it is with CSS's cursor [w3schools.com] property:
cursor: url('some-bad-file.ani');
I'm guessing Firefox has its own animated cursor
Why does it get to be this bad? (Score:4, Insightful)
Some stupid consumer protection council reports that some part of some toy can come apart and present a choking hazard to children. "As many as 3 children could have died over the last 10 years because of this!" Suddenly all news organizations act as though the sky has fallen, and on slow news day, it is even the lead story! Here we have a hazard that could get your machine rooted and pwned and steal your password and sell it in the organized crime networks, ... and the world reacts with a collective shrug.
Sorry, for the rant, I know I am preaching to the choir, just need to get it off my chest.
Supposedly the newest code does prevent it (Score:2)
Re:Why does it get to be this bad? (Score:5, Funny)
Even if you're a programmer, you're still out of your league on this one. Only a plumber could understand the series of tubes that make up the Internet.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
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Successful exploitation allows execution of arbitrary code. NOTE: The vulnerability is currently being actively exploited.
That is why the rant. Crash on imperfect input? I will accept that.
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I was wondering when someone would pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease think about the children. Thanks.
What kind of mouthbreather would even... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
(Actually, I use a set of modified Mac OS 8 icons, including black arrows and the classic "watch" icon, but I use hourglasses here
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
My cursor is a big punching glove. It makes hitting that damn monkey that much easier...
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I'm not sure that's really the problem. Wouldn't either of those articles have listed it as a workaround if so? I think this is the actual problem:
What's to investigate? (Score:3, Informative)
Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to help protect our customers. This will include providing a security update through our monthly release process or providing an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs. - I can give an advice even without an expensive investigation. Do not use MS IE, do not use MS Outlook, do not allow animated anything on your desktop and probably the best thing to do is to finally just plain not to use MS, but in many cases it is not an option.
Really, who uses animated anything on their desktops? It is always a performance hit. I completely disable all active desktop features immediately before using a computer with MS Windows installed. Turn off all animations, turn off 'show content while dragging window' option, switch to 'classic' look for the look of the Explorer, make sure that there are no thumbnails, switch to 'details' in the Explorer, make sure to show extensions on all files, make sure to apply to all folders and turn of 'Remember each folder settings' option.
I am not certain that this will prevent this particular problem, but not using IE and Outlook most likely would (while using other email clients do not allow active content to execute and do not trust attachments ever.) It's a real pain, it would be much better to run MS Windows in a virtual machine on GNU/Linux (VMWare I suppose.)
Re:What's to investigate? (Score:5, Insightful)
That's fine for you, but have you seen an average consumer machine recently? Everything from animated wallpaper to rotating slide shows to OMGPONIES!!!!!! themes get installed - usually via Active X.
You _are not_ the average user - the statement you made above proves that. The 'average joe' thinks his computer is appliance, like a toaster, because Bill Gates tells him it is.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
We're two days away from April 1st, let us enjoy these days while we can...
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I'm not sure that's really the solution. Wouldn't either of those articles have listed it as a workaround if so? I think this is the actual problem:
http://www.anicursor.com/web
Displaced Hot Spot (Score:2)
Criminals using this vulnerability ? (Score:5, Funny)
" So, ANI are you ok ? Are you ok ANI ?
You've been hit by... you've been hit by... a smooth criminal ! "
A workaround for this... (Score:5, Funny)
I use the comet cursor package that installed itself automatically when I browsed the web.
It has some great cursors and loads of other features that make using Windows far more entertaining.
I have not been able to remove or alter the comet cursor package since it installed itself, so I think it will protect very well against other cursors getting installed on my computer.
I can hear Ballmer screaming... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Damn you! Damn you all to hell!!
Solution: "You are trying to move the mouse..." (Score:5, Funny)
Stop the animated scrolling up and down (Score:2)
Caution (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.secureworks.com/research/threats/gozi/ [secureworks.com]
This latest silent exploit, which can be used by merely visiting a web page, will be used for other similar attacks.
Re: (Score:2)
This doesn't include all cursors... (Score:2)
Is there nothing that can't be exploited in MSWin? (Score:2)
IE loads animated cursors via CSS (Score:5, Informative)
body {cursor: url('cursor.ani');}
<BODY style="CURSOR: url('cursor.ani')">
<BODY style="CURSOR: url('http://www.example.com/cursor.ani')">
You can do it for the <BODY> element, or for other elements like <A>s. It then loads the specified
I am almost positive there is no way to disable this in IE.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:IE loads animated cursors via CSS (Score:5, Informative)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Another stupid buffer overflow... (Score:2)
Any use of a stack-based static-sized buffer should have thrown up huge red flags during code review. To have unchecked use of a static buffer make its way into production code is inexcusable in this day and age, particularly at Microsoft.
Ah yes (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't worry ! (Score:4, Insightful)
RTMF (Read The Mitigating Factors) !:
In a Web-based attack scenario, an attacker would have to host a Web site that contains a Web page that is used to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker could also attempt to compromise a Web site to have it serve up a Web page with malicious content attempting to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker would have no way to force users to visit a Web site. Instead, an attacker would have to persuade them to visit the Web site, typically by getting them to click a link that takes them to the attacker's site or a site compromised by the attacker.
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
See, much ado about nothing !:
- the attacker would have to host a web site [surely, they couldn't, could they !]
- the attacker could compromise a web site [probably they would not know how to, would they !]
- the attacker has no way to force the user to visit a specific website [see !]
Especially the latter gave me complete relief and peace of mind ! I can't be forced, that means I am as good as safe ! Yahoo !
- the attacker would need to persuade us [just told my wife not to answer the phone or door bell]
Not running my web browser as administrator [I don't] seriously limits the potential damage, thanks to Vista's unique feature of unprivileged user accounts.
Thanks, Microsoft, for an informative advisory; and a comprehensive and clear list of mitigating factors !
Thanks, Microsoft, for debunking so-called "extremely critical" vulnerabilities as myth, again !
Boy... (Score:4, Funny)
Mitigating Factors for Animated Cursor Vulnerability
Customers who are using Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista are protected from currently known web based attacks due to Internet Explorer 7.0 protected mode. For more information on Internet Explorer Protected Mode see the following Web Site.
By default, Outlook 2007 uses Microsoft Word to display e-mail messages which protects customers from the HTML e-mail preview and attack vector.
I think the important thing here to note is that MS is actually delivering on it's promise to deliver a more secure OS and set of applications for users.
Re:goddam hackers (Score:5, Informative)
Every parameter from every possible input needs to be verified for its correctness. If there isn't you need a way of notifying the user or cleanly exiting the system to prevent cascading damage.
The concept is simple actual practice is hard.
A lot of the times these hacks are not found because they were looking for a way to hack the system but the realized there was a problem when they did something wrong but it didn't reutrn errors but had desasterious consequences.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:goddam hackers (Score:5, Insightful)
I was going to try to be calm and rational about this, but screw it.
It's that kind of piss-poor attitude by jackass codemonkeys that causes these stupid, avoidable problems. If you aspire to be a programmer, quit now. You are not suited for it, and the best you can hope for is working in the field for a few years before your coworkers stab you to death in the parking lot (and no one will see a thing).
You can either approach every single line of code you write by asking how it will be attacked, or you can write an OS that can be compromised by a damn mouse pointer. There is no in between. All the hoping and wishing and "gee whiz golly, no one would want to hack my code!" Pollyanna naivete in the world won't change it.
Seriously. Quit before you break something.
Re:goddam hackers (Score:4, Funny)
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