ExploitHub admits 'embarrassing oversight' lead to hack

[Erica Absetz <eabsetz () opensecurityfoundation org>]

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/121212-exploithub-admits-39embarrassing-oversight39-lead-265019.html

IDG News Service - A marketplace where security researchers can sell
details on software bugs said it was compromised on Tuesday due to an
"embarrassing oversight" that left its web server vulnerable.

ExploitHub, which is based in Austin, Texas, has an online marketplace
with details of exploits, or attack code that could be used to take
advantage of a software vulnerability. A group calling itself the
"Inj3ct0r Team" claimed responsibility for the attack, ExploitHub said
in a statement posted to Facebook.

The Inj3ct0r Team, which also runs its own vulnerability and exploit
marketplace, posted descriptions of some of the data on a website,
which included software products from major IT companies include
Oracle, Adobe Systems, HP, Citrix and Trend Micro. The group claimed
the information is worth US$242,333 and said it hacked ExploitHub to
show it had poor security.

The Inj3ct0r Team's hack took advantage of "an accessible install
script that was left on the system rather than being removed after
installation, which was an embarrassing oversight on our part,"
ExploitHub said. The problem allowed the Inj3ct0r Team to extract the
exploit information from ExploitHub's SQL database.

ExploitHub said it had architected its public-facing web application
server in a way to limit the damage if it was compromised. "Being a
high profile target, the ExploitHub endures attacks daily," it added.

The marketplace said the hackers only accessed information that was
already publicly available by searching through its online catalog.
The information included exploit names, prices and the names of
researchers but not any actual exploit code, which could be used in
attacks.

"The product data is stored elsewhere, and there is currently no
evidence that the storage location was accessed by any unauthorized
party or that any of the exploit code or other product data has been
compromised or stolen as has been claimed," ExploitHub said. "However,
our investigation is ongoing."

ExploitHub does not allow zero-day exploits to be included in its
marketplace. Zero-day exploits are considered the most dangerous type
of attack since it means the software manufacturer has not patched the
vulnerability and the exploit is actively being used in attacks.

Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk () idg com. Follow me on
Twitter: @jeremy_kirk
_______________________________________________
Dataloss Mailing List (dataloss () datalossdb org)
Archived at http://seclists.org/dataloss/
Unsubscribe at http://datalossdb.org/mailing_list

Supporters:

Risk Based Security (http://www.riskbasedsecurity.com/)
Risk Based Security equips organizations with security intelligence, risk
management services and on-demand security solutions to establish
customized risk-based programs to address information security and
compliance challenges.