This is an important one folks. There is a significant security problem with IE5.5 & 6 that I've been reading about for the last week or so. Hopefully, this patch addresses that issue. Here's a little more information: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-058
13 December 2001 Cumulative Patch for IE
Summary Who should read this bulletin: Customers using Microsoft® Internet Explorer.
Impact of vulnerability: Run code of attacker’s choice.
Maximum Severity Rating: Critical
Recommendation: Customers using IE should install the patch immediately.
Affected Software: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
Technical description: This is a cumulative patch that, when installed, eliminates all previously discussed security vulnerabilities affecting IE 5.5 and IE 6. In addition, it eliminates three newly discovered vulnerabilities.
The first vulnerability involves a flaw in the handling of the Content-Disposition and Content-Type header fields in an HTML stream. These fields, the hosting URL, and the hosted file data determine how a file is handled upon download in Internet Explorer. A security vulnerability exists because, if an attacker altered the HTML header information in a certain way, it could be possible to make IE believe that an executable file was actually a different type of file -- one that it is appropriate to simply open without asking the user for confirmation. This could enable the attacker to create a web page or HTML mail that, when opened, would automatically run an executable on the user's system. This vulnerability affects IE 6.0 only. It does not affect IE 5.5.
The second vulnerability is a newly discovered variant of the "Frame Domain Verification" vulnerability discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-015. The vulnerability could enable a malicious web site operator to open two browser windows, one in the web site’s domain and the other on the user’s local file system, and to pass information from the latter to the former. This could enable the web site operator to read, but not change, any file on the user’s local computer that could be opened in a browser window. This vulnerabilty affects both IE 5.5 and 6.0.
The third vulnerability involves a flaw related to the display of file names in the File Download dialogue box. When a file download is initiated, a dialogue provides the name of the file. However, in some cases, it would be possible for an attacker to misrepresent the name of the file in the dialogue. This could be invoked from a web page or in an HTML email in an attempt to fool users into accepting unsafe file types from a trusted source. This vulnerabilty affects both IE 5.5 and 6.0.
Patch Availablility: Security Update, December 13, 2001 Read up and ... Enjoy!
Scotter, don't feel bad. Marti posted the info quicker, but your post went into more detail. It also initiated conversation into exactly what can happen. Besides, with something like that, I would rather hear it twice than not at all.
In case any of you were wondering if it's important for you to install this patch, here is an example of why you might wish to do so. I found this information at the DSL Reports Security forum.
The following link appears to be a link to a DOC file. Using IE5.5 or 6, hold your mouse over the link for a moment and look at your Status bar. See the full URL? See that it seems to indicate that it points to a DOC? Try clicking the link (it's actually calc.exe, the Windows calculator program -- harmless, so don't worry). Once you've patched your computer, try it again. See the difference? Once patched, the download dialog box tells you that it is an executable, not a DOC.
Well, this is an interesting turn of events here Scotterpops
Working in XP Pro, I clicked on that link and got a fresh browser window that says:
You are downloading the file: test.doc from 208.212.86.151
With the normal stuff to open, save, or whatever. Nice little touch to XP Pro, that would stop me from proceeding on what appears to be a harmless link. Still, it's the user who decides though.
#11. "RE: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-058 ..." In response to JP (Reply # 9)
A similar thing happens with IE5.01.
If you do the save, you should get a CALC.exe file and similarly, if you select Open, the EXE will eventually run. After selecting Open, I received a similar window, except with Calc.exe showing and RUN as an option. Selecting run resulted in a Security Warning about Authenticode signature missing. Selecting OK, results in the program running.
#12. "RE: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-058 ..." In response to WhitPhil (Reply # 11)
Hmmm, my installations of IE5.01 show CALC.EXE as the file being downloaded, not the rogue DOC file. Have you been keeping your IE5.01 up to date with the recommended patches? This patch updates several previous patches for IE (MS00-033, MS00-055, MS00-093 and MS01-015).