Agreed, if you've got a malicious Word document that exploits a flaw in MS Word itself, then the only defence is good patching or some other form of exploit detection. If it's a zero-day, then there's probably nothing except exploit detection.
Don't want to plug it too much but AppSense Application Manager does a good job of detecting execution beyond the "expected" capabilities of an application, but I've never been able to test it much beyond the types of things like malicious PDFs with Java exploits or exploits that call out to malicious dll files. Wonder how much work it would be to craft an Office document that tries to exploit a vulnerability to see if it can stop this sort of vector as well? On 16 April 2012 15:19, Alex Eckelberry <[email protected]> wrote: > >But, if we ever get to a world where whitelisting is the predominant**** > > >means of execution control, the bad guys will, out of necessity, be**** > > >relegated to exploiting flaws in applications through data files.**** > > ** ** > > I don’t understand how you can have an exploit in a data file resulting in > anything else but code execution. Data itself is harmless; it’s the > executables that cause harm. **** > > ** ** > > There will always be code executed, in some form or another (unless I’m > misunderstanding your point). **** > > ** ** > > Alex**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *From:* Crawford, Scott [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Monday, April 16, 2012 12:25 AM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: Whitelisting**** > > ** ** > > Possibly...even probably. But, if we ever get to a world where > whitelisting is the predominant means of execution control, the bad guys > will, out of necessity, be relegated to exploiting flaws in applications > through data files. A scanner that looks for signatures of exploits in > files will be a useful tool. Assuming of course, all applications aren't > secure. > > > Sent from my Windows Phone**** > > ------------------------------ > > *From: *Andrew S. Baker > *Sent: *4/15/2012 1:08 PM > > *To: *NT System Admin Issues > *Subject: *Re: Whitelisting**** > > You can't. :) > **** > > *ASB***** > > *http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker***** > > *Harnessing the Advantages of Technology for the SMB market…***** > > > > **** > > On Sat, Apr 14, 2012 at 1:24 PM, Rankin, James R <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > How do you blacklist all possible bad data files?**** > > ------Original Message------ > From: Crawford, Scott > To: NT System Admin Issues**** > > ReplyTo: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Whitelisting > > Sent: 14 Apr 2012 18:02 > > A combination is needed. Whitelisting for traditional executable code and > blacklisting for data files that exploit vulnerable white listed > applications. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Alex Eckelberry [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2012 10:10 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Whitelisting > > I'm curious, what's the general feeling about about whitelisting? As a > former AV guy, I tend to prefer blacklisting, but I'm seeing signs things > might be changing. > > Thoughts?**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin**** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > -- http://appsensebigot.blogspot.co.uk IMPORTANT INFORMATION/DISCLAIMER I certainly don't have time to monitor the content of e-mail sent and received via this account for the purposes of ensuring compliance with anyone's policies and procedures. 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I am not responsible for any changes made to the message after it has been sent, in more or less the same way that cyclozine manufacturers aren't responsible for drug addicts mixing it with methadone and overdosing, so I'm glad I cleared the confusion up there nice and early. Where opinions are expressed, they are not necessarily mine. However, I don't make a habit of expressing other people's opinions for them, so you shouldn't take that statement as an indication that I am in the business of providing an opinion-expressing service. In the event that I did, this discourse would provide no guarantee that I would do it anyway, but I don't, so I won't. This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended addressee, or the person responsible for delivering it to them, aside from the fact that you've clearly got some level of unauthorised access to their account or are at least engaged in some sort of fraud, I'm obliged to tell you that may not copy, forward disclose or otherwise use it or any part of it in any way. To do so may be unlawful, and as you're already breaking the law, I am sure that bombshell makes you quake in your boots and turn yourself over to law enforcement immediately. If you receive this e-mail by mistake, please advise the sender immediately. That would be me, and as I am clearly prone to sending emails to completely the wrong person, I should instantly be stripped of my status as a technical consultant and sent to do something more becoming of my stupidity, such as appearing on Big Brother, the X Factor or "insert country name here"'s Got Talent. ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
