[iwar] [fc:Hacker.browser.may.give.users.a.peek]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2002-02-05 20:51:56

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From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
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Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 20:51:56 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [iwar] [fc:Hacker.browser.may.give.users.a.peek]
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Hacker browser may give users a peek

By Shawna McAlearney, Infosecuritymag, 2/4/02
<a href="http://www.infosecuritymag.com/digest/2001/05-14-01.shtml#1a">http://www.infosecuritymag.com/digest/2001/05-14-01.shtml#1a>

Using peer-to-peer and encryption technology, the hacker group Cult of
the Dead Cow (CDC) says it's created a browser that will enable users to
circumvent government and corporate censorship.

The hacker group says it will unveil its Peekabooty browser at July's
DefCon conference in Las Vegas. Working much the same way as the
Gnutella file-swapping application, Peekabooty uses its users' computers
as a distributed network for collecting information. Once requested
information is found, the program encrypts the files so filters can't
recognize their content.

CDC, which also developed the remote Microsoft systems admin tool Back
Orifice, says it developed Peekabooty for users living under restrictive
government regulation who wanted to see information that would otherwise
be denied.

While Peekabooty could defeat many corporate security policies by
nullifying their gateway filters, the browser raises other security
concerns. Experts say it's possible to use a P2P application, such as
Napster and Gnutella, to break into additional areas inside a user's
system.

"My biggest concern, being a security person, is what are the security
mechanisms to stop people from downloading other files on your machine?"
says Brett Eldridge, vice president of security at OneSecure, a managed
security services provider. "What mechanisms are in place to prevent
people from downloading unauthorized data? This is a problem that's
common to all peer-to-peer systems."

Though it doesn't pose a new security threat per se, Peekabooty does
present significant liability issues for corporations whose employees
use it at work.

"It's possible (to access additional information inside a P2P users
system), but it's not a new threat," says Randy Marchany, a systems
administrator at Virginia Tech. "This is more of an information
disclosure issue than a new hacker tool. The danger it poses to a
company is a liability issue, depending on the content of the
information: competitor's sensitive files, Napster-style illegal music,
or even kiddie porn."

Liability and security issues aside, Peekabooty could make a mockery of
law enforcement's attempts to monitor electronic communications via
Carnivore (DCS 1000), Echelon or other surveillance programs. The FBI
didn't return calls for comment.

Once released, it will be nearly impossible to prevent corporate network
users from installing Peekabooty on their desktops. It's unknown how it
will be distributed or if the source code will be made public. Attempts
to reach CDC for further comment were unsuccessful.

"The job of corporate security people will be to analyze the protocol
and if they deem that it is a risk, as most probably will, figure out a
way to prevent it from going through the firewall," adds Eldridge.

Peekabooty isn't the first application designed to circumvent network
content controls. Other technology includes the Freedom Internet browser
and the SafeWeb Web sites.

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