Hackers have published code that could let an attacker disable Windows Firewall on certain
Windows XP machines.
The code, which was posted on the Internet early Sunday morning, could be used to disable Windows Firewall on a fully patched Windows XP PC running Windows’ Internet Connection Service (ICS). This service allows Windows users to essentially turn theirs PCs into routers and share their Internet connections with other computers on a LAN. It is typically used by home and small business users.
The attacker could send a malicious data packet to another PC using ICS that would cause the service to terminate. Because this service is connected to the Windows firewall, this packet would also cause the firewall to stop working, said Tyler Reguly, a research engineer at nCircle Network Security Inc., who has blogged about the issue.
"Once the firewall is down, where’s your line of defense?" he said Monday in an interview. New attack can flatten XP firewall
From around the Web
- Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Latest Release Schedule
- Vista SP2: What is inside?
- NetWitness releases free version of security software
- Three Reasons Why Users Won’t Buy Into Security
- Automated security testing & its limitations
- Google Wants to Preinstall Chrome Browser on PCs
- Mozilla warns of Firefox China add on
- Firefox No Longer an Automatic Defense Against Browser Drive Bys
- Google patches Chrome file stealing bug
- Apple plays catch up, adds anti fraud safeguard to Safari
- Researchers find vulnerability in Windows Vista
- How to Use Network Behavior Analysis Tools
- The insider security threat in IT and financial services
- Windows 7 security: An overall improvement?
- Windows 7 UAC could be less of a nag