IE7 is a Source of Problem - Secunia IE7 Release Incident of October 2006
Upon IE7 release, Secunia published SA22477 titled `Internet Explorer
7 "mhtml:" Redirection Information Disclosure`.
Here I figured a straightforward demo - navigate IE7 to:
* mhtml:http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.yahoo.com/
Google redirects to Yahoo, Yahoo content is loaded, but browser
location is not updated.
Microsoft blogs assure vulnerability brought up by Secunia is not in
IE7, technically, rather, it's Outlook Express; and as usual, words of
Microsoft were well honored by several public media sources.
Microsoft do not even send the slightest comment that IE is a source
of problem - despite there involves cross-domain data compromise, HTTP
redirection, ActiveX(DOM also works) ... all in all, when this attack
happens, it got to be IE and no other.
Let me sum up: in this case IE is vulnerable, only IE is vulnerable,
and Microsoft say "These reports are technically inaccurate: the issue
concerned in these reports is not in Internet Explorer 7 (or any other
version) at all".
Upon seeing "mhtml:", it reminds of a magnificent historic incident
which also involved "mhtml:" -- an IE exploit so perfectly and widely
utilized that it made CERT suggest "Use a different web browser"(CERT
KB VU#323070), and firstly initiated the boom of Firefox. Of course
Microsoft is unlikely to say technically this is also not IE's
problem.
At last allow me to put an off-topic yet sentimental complain ...
Quite a while ago, when I got IE exploits and Secunia broadcasted
about them, my name was in every news report; This month same
situation, codedreamer - original finder of the "mhtml:" thing
broadcasted by Secunia - was not properly given credit ... no
mentioning in news reports, no mentioning in the famous first ever IE7
advisory SA22477, codedreamer made the whole thing yet Secunia gave
but one single line of credit in bottom of demo "The test is based on
Proof of Concept code by codedreamer". Let me say I'm a man who
believes in paying respect, thus I made this little complain, paying
my respect to codedreamer.
Best Wishes for All Firefox Surfers and Firefox 2.0
Liu Die Yu
25 OCT 06