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Internet Explorer URL Spoofing Vulnerability
Secunia Advisory: SA10395
Release Date: 2003-12-09
Last Update: 2004-02-02
Popularity: 284,209 views

Critical:
Moderately critical
Impact: Spoofing
Where: From remote
Solution Status: Vendor Patch

Software:Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x

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CVE reference:CVE-2003-1025


Description:
A vulnerability has been identified in Internet Explorer, which can be exploited by malicious people to display a fake URL in the address and status bars.

The vulnerability is caused due to an input validation error, which can be exploited by including the "%01" and "%00" URL encoded representations after the username and right before the "@" character in an URL.

Successful exploitation allows a malicious person to display an arbitrary FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) in the address and status bars, which is different from the actual location of the page.

This can be exploited to trick users into divulging sensitive information or download and execute malware on their systems, because they trust the faked domain in the two bars.

Example displaying only "http://www.trusted_site.com" in the two bars when the real domain is "malicious_site.com":
http://www.trusted_site.com%01%00@malicious_site.com/malicious.html

A test is available at:
http://secunia.com/internet_explorer_address_bar_spoofing_test/

The vulnerability has been confirmed in version 6.0, and version 5.x is also affected according to Microsoft's knowledge base article.

NOTE: This vulnerability is currently being exploited on the Internet via scam emails!

Solution:
Apply patches manually or via WindowsUpdate.

Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-90D3-0C884910BC97&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 (64-Bit Edition):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-BC77-9BF410BC620D&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 6 for Windows Server 2003:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-B8F6-1DE327E598F0&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 6 for Windows Server 2003 (64-Bit Edition):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-9AE4-8DCB43404149&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 6:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-BFDE-29EBA8CF7A50&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 5.5 Service Pack 2:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-B767-5597DDE95C6F&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 4:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-9AA2-36D2D8454A92&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 3:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-8C0F-4183C77B6B51&displaylang=en

Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 2:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/de...-A780-81D6DBC48DD5&displaylang=en


NOTE: The patches fix the vulnerability by removing support for usernames and passwords in URLs.

Provided and/or discovered by:
Originally discovered by:
Zap The Dingbat

Status bar variant reported by:
Chris Hall

Changelog:
2003-12-11: Linked to test. Added information regarding variant, which makes it possible to spoof URL in the status bar as well.
2003-12-14: Microsoft has issued a knowledge base article concerning the issue. This also reports that version 5.x is affected.
2003-12-19: Scams mails exploiting the vulnerability are now circulating the Internet.
2004-02-02: Microsoft issues patches. Added CVE reference.

Original Advisory:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-004.asp

Other References:
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 833786:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=833786


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