RE: MS02-023 does not patch actual issue!

[David McKenzie <DMcKenzie () NFA Futures Org>]

In addition - this patch introduces a lack of functionality in one of out
apps:

Scenario:

Non-administrative user with a SSL session runs a JavaScript popup.
When the popup window is closed, the user must reauthenticate.

Behavior introduced within one of the patches in the security rollup

Tested Windows 2000 IE6 and IE 5.5.

PHOOEY

-----Original Message-----
From: GreyMagic Software [mailto:security () greymagic com]
Sent: Thursday, May 16, 2002 3:56 AM
To: NTBugtraq; Bugtraq; secure () microsoft com
Subject: MS02-023 does not patch actual issue!


Hello,

Microsoft released a cumulative patch yesterday, which, among other issues,
allegedly patches the dialogArguments vulnerability
(http://jscript.dk/adv/TL002/).

In their bulletin Microsoft makes several severe errors:

1. "A cross-site scripting vulnerability in a Local HTML Resource..."

No, Microsoft, the problem is not plain cross site scripting, the problem is
that dialogArguments' security restrictions are bypassed and it is passed to
the dialog even though it shouldn't. Please re-read the advisories.

2. "A successful attack requires that a user first click on a hyperlink.
There
is no way to automate an attack using this vulnerability."

This is simply wrong, the user doesn't have to click anything for this issue
to
be exploited, it can run automatically.

3. Microsoft also claims that this issue only exists in IE6.

Microsoft obviously doesn't follow Bugtraq. This issue also exists in IE5
and
IE5.5, as we demonstrated in our GM#001-AX advisory.


In conclusion, Microsoft did not understand the problem. They only patched a
symptom of this vulnerability, not its root cause.

As a result of that incomplete "patch" IE5 and IE5.5 are still very much
vulnerable to this attack in other resources. For a demonstration see
http://sec.greymagic.com/adv/gm001-ax/.

We hope that Microsoft fixes the actual issue this time, and not just the
resource file.

Regards,
        - GMS.