-----Original Message----- From: UNIRAS (UK Govt CERT) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 19 August 2002 13:30 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: UNIRAS Brief - 257/02 - CIAC - Parasite Programs; Adware, Spyware, and Stealth Networks -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- UNIRAS (UK Govt CERT) Briefing Notice - 257/02 dated 19.08.02 Time: 13:25 UNIRAS is part of NISCC(National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- UNIRAS material is also available from its website at www.uniras.gov.uk and Information about NISCC is available from www.niscc.gov.uk - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- Title ===== CIAC Security Advisory: Parasite Programs; Adware, Spyware, and Stealth Networks Detail ====== - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- __________________________________________________________ The U.S. Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability ___ __ __ _ ___ / | /_\ / \___ __|__ / \ \___ __________________________________________________________ TECHNICAL BULLETIN Parasite Programs; Adware, Spyware, and Stealth Networks August 16, 2002 22:00 GMT Number CIACTech02-004 ______________________________________________________________________________ PROBLEM: Programs are being intentionally packaged with legitimate software to display advertising on your screen, gather information on your browsing habits, and to sell your unused CPU cycles and disk space. Current applications are relatively benign but could easily be used for an invasion of privacy or other malicious purposes. PLATFORM: Primarily Windows platforms but could be any platform that connects to the Internet. ABSTRACT: Recent reports from Internet marketing companies outlining their plans has brought to light the capabilities of parasite programs that are being installed along with legitimate programs. These parasite programs give the outside company the ability to watch your browsing habits, examine your files, and use your unused computer cycles and disk space. Most of these programs currently place directed advertising on your computer but have the ability to do much more. Buried in the fine print of the user agreements for those programs are legal releases that may allow the software company uncontrolled access to your computer. The stated future plans of at least one of these companies includes selling your unused disk space and computer cycles to other companies. In this bulletin we will discuss what is going on now, what could be done with the existing technology, and how to detect and get rid of it. ______________________________________________________________________________ LINKS: CIAC BULLETIN: http://www.ciac.org/ciac/techbull/CIACTech02-004.shtml OTHER LINKS: "Stealth P2P Network Hides Inside Kazaa", CNet News, 4/17/02 http://news.com.com/2100-1023-873181.html "Excerpt from Brilliant Digital Entertainment's Annual Report," CNet News, 4/2/02, http://news.com.com/2102-1023- 873905.html CIACTech02-002: Microsoft Browser Helper Objects (BHO) Could Hide Malicious Code, http://www.ciac.org/ciac/ techbull/CIACTech02-002.shtml AdAware, http://download.com.com/3000-2094-10115988.html SSD, http://patrick.kolla.de/software/spybotsd /navi.en.html BHOCop, http://download.com.com/3000-2353-5930345.html LavaSoft, http://www.lavasoft.de PepiMK, http://patrick.kolla.de PC Magazine, http://www.pcmag.com Brilliant Digital, http://www.brilliantdigital.com KaZaA, http://www.kazaa.com ______________________________________________________________________________ - -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 4.0 Business Edition iQCVAwUBPV1vLLnzJzdsy3QZAQE16QQA4q5u8XPLdGySjsp8yqrQZLUdotQpvdyJ ENIKgbSc0qvjqp1yrOyzmfcrf5nQsqWtUoFmiDbVnyDTJv/2FIXypNg9FV27O5t5 0+8XQRdtylFOGov5vyTP4fvOWOm9UEsTbBBNGwxAhnGBewnr6WRRwHZcech3Tb8x HjEjWM8udA4= =0dIL - -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- For additional information or assistance, please contact the HELP Desk by telephone or Not Protectively Marked information may be sent via EMail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: 020 7821 1330 Ext 4511 Fax: 020 7821 1686 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- UNIRAS wishes to acknowledge the contributions of CIAC for the information contained in this Briefing. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- This Briefing contains the information released by the original author. Some of the information may have changed since it was released. If the vulnerability affects you, it may be prudent to retrieve the advisory from the canonical site to ensure that you receive the most current information concerning that problem. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by UNIRAS or NISCC. The views and opinions of authors expressed within this notice shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Neither UNIRAS or NISCC shall also accept responsibility for any errors or omissions contained within this briefing notice. In particular, they shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever, arising from or in connection with the usage of information contained within this notice. UNIRAS is a member of the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) and has contacts with other international Incident Response Teams (IRTs) in order to foster cooperation and coordination in incident prevention, to prompt rapid reaction to incidents, and to promote information sharing amongst its members and the community at large. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- <End of UNIRAS Briefing> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP 7.0.4 iQCVAwUBPWDkPIpao72zK539AQFICQQAhzQSse6Un/EJdV4iPGUL77jb2y1QUigY muGKN5DUk799yFwwskWJBhEJSGEwWB4jjJ7bqQRucZL02wRS1YXISlaJoueH4p2w bxf6ewWhc/4jqX7MStFIwKsYnzFCdQlvsZR+/KYEicWAd+mLcR5ZecWdaODDAmUz HOV+PjRVSrY= =7tKt -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- IWS INFOCON Mailing List @ IWS - The Information Warfare Site http://www.iwar.org.uk
