RE: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as safe as FireFox

Colin.Scott_at_csplc.com
Date: 11/15/04

  • Next message: Nicolas RUFF: "Re: [Full-Disclosure] EEYE: Kerio Personal Firewall Multiple IP Options Denial of Service"
    To: <full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com>
    Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 08:42:09 +0000
    
    

    Yes perhaps I'm being a little close minded.

    I know that WFP can be switched off and all that, but this is real life. We
    don't have the luxury of 1 single domain controlling all our clients, we
    are talking multiple NT/2000/2003 domains, multiple OS's, multiple Admins.

    I am complaining (more the point I am trying to make as others are on the
    list) directly about the situation we are in with the patching of Windows
    products. We feel like we are held to ransom by MS's security team while
    they drink their coffee testing new patches on Dells with no doubt MS-only
    apps installed. Meanwhile we have to go out and spend hundreds of thousands
    of pounds on products that we shouldn't have to purchase. Or engineer
    tricky methods to make changes to the whole estate just so we can feel a
    little happier running windows (will we ever feel happy?).

    We use SUS and currently its switched off. Why? Because one of MS's helpful
    little patches has been eating machines, or more accurately WFP has been
    helpfully putting DLLs back to the old version without warning, result
    non-booting machine. An open call with MS PSS has given us no fix (c'mon
    pull the finger out guys)

    So currently we are damned if we do patch and damned if we don't.

    Maybe you'll understand why I'm a little tetchy on the subject now (as I'm
    sure others are too), and why I responded to Rafel's comments so
    aggressively. His comments weren't helpfull, anyone can put forward a
    suggestion that costs way over 200k GBP.

    Back on topic though, IE is no where near Firefox for security, however,
    does Firefox come with a roll out method? Does it work for our critical
    apps? Can the Firefox settings be controlled centrally? I'm sure I could
    spend weeks figuring out methods to get Firefox to do these things, maybe
    by that time MS will have patched IE (im not holding my breath). The MS
    guy that said the origonal comment should have known when he said it he was
    dropping a clanger.

    Cheers,

    Colin.

                                                                               
                 "Michael
                 Evanchik"
                 <mevanchik@relati To
                 onship1.com> <Colin.Scott@csplc.com>,
                 Sent by: <full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com>
                 full-disclosure-a cc
                 dmin@lists.netsys
                 .com Subject
                                           RE: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as
                                           safe as FireFox
                 12/11/2004 16:15
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               
                                                                               

    I disagree Colin,

    A good administrator knows there is more then one way to skin a cat.
    Rafel,
    I belive was just briefly stating some solutions to the problem. I can
    tell
    you windows protection can be defeated with a few registry changes.
    Combine
    that with an active directory login script and I believe that is one way to
    solve the issue. It is wrong to complain and give up if you administrator.
    Talk to you developer, im sure he will have a solution =)

    Mike

    www.michaelevanchik.com

    -----Original Message-----
    From: full-disclosure-admin@lists.netsys.com
    [mailto:full-disclosure-admin@lists.netsys.com] On Behalf Of
    Colin.Scott@csplc.com
    Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 9:46 AM
    To: full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com
    Subject: Re: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as safe as FireFox

    More infinate wisdom there Rafel.

    Price per license for "Finjan's Vital Security for Web" = 9.50GBP per user
    + 20% support per annum, roughly equates to 160,000GBP (plus any hardware,
    software and network requirements) to cover us with your no doubt
    class-leading product. I'm sure that the Directors will love to cough up
    another 160 grand when we are already paying MS for Premier support.

    Use SUS to install XP SP2 to 14,000 Windows 2000 machines? Somehow I think
    that will be problematic.

    Replace the SHDOCVW.DLL with the XP SP2 version? On Windows 2000 machines?
    And what about the practical problems getting round Windows File
    Protection? On 14,000 machines? Do you want to come in here and try what
    you suggest?

    I think Rafel you need a lesson in being a Windows Administrator before
    posting your very helpfull posts to this list.

    So thanks but no thanks.

    Colin.

                 "Rafel Ivgi,
                 The-Insider"
                 <theinsider@012.n To
                 et.il> <full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com>,
                                           <Colin.Scott@csplc.com>
                 12/11/2004 14:08 cc

                                                                       Subject
                                           Re: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as
                                           safe as FireFox

    If you do have 14000 machines why don't you buy "Finjan's Vital Security
    For
    Web"?
    It will filter all malicious I.E exploits for all its surfers(its a proxy,
    quite fast...)

    Or just use SUS(system update server (microsoft)) just like any other
    administrator... to install sp2 or to just
    replace the c:\windows\system32\shdocvw.dll with the patched one or with
    sp2
    one...

    Rafel Ivgi, The-Insider
    Security Consultant
    Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC)
    Finjan Software LTD
    E-mail: rivgi@Finjan.com
    ---------------------------------
    Prevention is the best cure!
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: <Colin.Scott@csplc.com>
    To: <full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com>
    Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 12:46 PM
    Subject: Re: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as safe as FireFox

    Oh yeah, I've got 14,000 Windows 2000 machines to update to windows XP SP2,
    hang on wheres that CD?

    So thanks for your infinate wisdom there Rafel.

    Colin.

                "Rafel Ivgi,
    The-Insider"
    <theinsider@012.n To
    et.il> <full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com>
    Sent by: cc
    full-disclosure-a
    dmin@lists.netsys Subject
    .com Re: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as
    safe as FireFox
    12/11/2004 06:44

    That is incorrect, there is a fix --> SP2.
    Users should use the latest updated system, meaning if there is an SP2,
    they
    should install it.

    Rafel Ivgi, The-Insider
    Security Consultant
    Malicious Code Research Center (MCRC)
    Finjan Software LTD
    E-mail: rivgi@Finjan.com
    ---------------------------------
    Prevention is the best cure!
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Martin Mkrtchian" <dotsecure@gmail.com>
    To: "Todd Towles" <toddtowles@brookshires.com>
    Cc: "Mailing List - Full-Disclosure" <full-disclosure@lists.netsys.com>;
    <ring-of-fire@yahoogroups.com>
    Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 3:03 AM
    Subject: Re: [Full-Disclosure] IE is just as safe as FireFox

    > They should've at least released that statement after they fixed the
    > IE FRAME vulnerability. 0 day exploit is in the wild and no fix for
    > it, yet they claim its secure enough.
    >
    > If the programmers are as smart as the company press releasers, I can
    > see why I.E. still sux.
    >
    >
    > Martin
    >
    >
    > On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 15:59:20 -0600, Todd Towles
    > <toddtowles@brookshires.com> wrote:
    >> Microsoft's security and mangement product manager (Ben English)
    says...
    >>
    >> At a security roundtable discussion in Sydney on Thursday, Ben English,
    >> Microsoft's security and management product manager, told attendees
    that
    >> IE undergoes "rigorous code reviews" and is no less secure than any
    >> other browser.
    >>
    >> "Because IE is ubiquitous, you hear a lot more about it, but I don't
    >> think that Internet Explorer is any less secure than any other browser
    >> out there," English said.
    >>
    >> http://news.com.com/Microsoft+says+Firefox+not+a+threat+to+IE/2100-1032_
    >> 3-5448719.html?part=dht&tag=ntop&tag=nl.e433
    >>
    >> Can anyone say IFRAME? Lol
    >>
    >> -Todd
    >>
    >> _______________________________________________
    >> Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
    >> Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html
    >>
    >
    > _______________________________________________
    > Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
    > Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html

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    _______________________________________________
    Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
    Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html

    _______________________________________________
    Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
    Charter: http://lists.netsys.com/full-disclosure-charter.html

    _______________________________________________
    Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
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  • Next message: Nicolas RUFF: "Re: [Full-Disclosure] EEYE: Kerio Personal Firewall Multiple IP Options Denial of Service"

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