There's some new Internet worm/virus spreading around that exploits a few different holes in Microsoft software at the same time.
Web infection may be aimed at stealing financial data
The infection appears to take advantage of three separate flaws with Microsoft Corp. products. Microsoft said software updates to fix two of them had been released in April, but the third flaw was newly discovered and had no patch to fix it yet.
"Users should be aware that any Web site, even those that may be trusted by the user, may be affected by this activity and thus contain potentially malicious code," the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team warned in an Internet alert.
Infectious Web sites attack through Microsoft browser
"The attacker uploaded a small file with (JavaScript) to infected web sites, and altered the web server configuration to append the script to all files served by the web server," according to an explanation posted by the Internet Storm Center in Bethesda, Md.
The JavaScript instructs the user's browser to download and install various malicious programs from a Russian Web site, including a keystroke logger and other software that could give hackers unauthorized access to an infected computer.
"No warning will be displayed," the explanation emphasized." The user does not have to click on any links. Just visiting an infected site will trigger the exploit."
Experts said the attack's effects were unusually broad but weren't substantially interfering with Internet traffic.
So, it exploits holes in IIS that cause it to append some Javascript to all pages served, which then exploits holes in Internet Explorer to install keyloggers and whatever else. Pretty impressive, actually.
This is an example of why I recommend that no one ever use Internet Explorer, ever, for security reasons.
Security experts noted that users can avoid the exploit by using alternative browsers such as Mozilla and Opera. Users could also turn off the "Javascript" feature on their Microsoft browsers, though doing so cripple functions on some sites.
And, of course. The Macintosh is safe:
The infection does not affect Macintosh versions of Internet Explorer.
Update: More at Slashdot, via Julian
Update: As I expected he would, Kayode has a whole bunch more.
I can no longer listen to Curtis and Kuby in the morning on WABC because of what a pompous windbag Ron Kuby is. That's not a big loss, but there's hardly any music on in the mornings anyway because most stations have their morning shows, so I actually choose to turn off the radio rather than listen. I just read pieces of this interview and I now dislike him even more.
Conrad has an interesting story about the perverse market of girls selling their panties in Tokyo. That's messed up.
People have speculated on the possible effect Moore's new "documentary" Fahrenheit 9/11 may have on the election. I'm beginning to wonder if, if it has any effect at all, it might have the opposite effect that Moore intends. Most people who see the movie are already so far gone that it doesn't matter. However, others may start to notice how gosh darn loony they all are and decide that they don't want to be a part of that. One can hope.
Update: Michael Moore in quotes.
Update: Good comments from Jeff Jarvis:
Now he's still poking fun but in the immortal words of Billy Crystal, it's not fun, it's not funny. He's deadly serious. He's downright rabid. And that makes him harder to take; don't you always want to back away from somebody who's seething at you? It also makes his role as a filmmaker and political activist different: He's no longer just ridiculing the powerful; he's no longer turning them into punchlines; he's now trying to convince us that these particular powerful people -- Bush et al -- are evil, venal, corrupt, incompetent co-conspirators out to ruin our world. If you're going to try to convince us of that, then you have a different obligation of fact and argument than if you're just trying to make fun of somebody. You should give us legitimate facts and arm us with arguments by showing both sides of an issue and beating down the other side. If you don't do that, you're only shrieking. You're weakening your own argument by ignoring the other side. You're insulting the intelligence of your audience by not giving them both sides. You're just seething. That's what Moore is like now.
Update: Dean has some interesting comments. Also check out the two articles I linked to in a comment.
Friday, June 25, 2004
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new⇒Quantum physics and free will
I knew you were going to say that....
Tom Massey: Mar 15, 9:26pm