'Spy Detect' software --
is it a scam?
Category: The Internet
by Dennis Faas, infopackets editor
http://www.infopackets.com
Dear Dennis, First of all, thanks for
all the great info.
I have a security question for windows. With all the security I
have, such as a
firewall, and
virus protection, I thought I was pretty safe when online.
However, the other day I stumbled upon a web site that had the contents
of my hard drive revealed to me through a link. The software is called
SPY DETECT:
www.spydetect.com/pscan/pscan.shtml
This is from a security firm that is selling software to stop this sort
of thing from happening. I would like to know -- is my computer at
risk?
My Response:
This is a scam
that preys on the fact that people are ignorant to Java Script tricks and
Microsoft Security exploits in Internet Explorer. The funny thing is that
this particular web site claims that what they're showing you is not trick.
When I viewed the Document Source, I noticed that there was a lot of Java
Code placed throughout the page. While I did not spent a great deal of
time analyzing exactly how they made the files on my hard drive magically appear
on the Internet Explorer, the one thing that really caught my eye was
that the "report number" (displayed on the HTML page) was simply a
randomly generated number produced by the Java Code. This fact alone was
enough to indicate to me that this web site was less than honest.
You can what I'm referring to here in their HTML document code:
//report
var randomnumber = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999)
document.write("Report <b>")
document.write(randomnumber)
document.write("</b> created on ")
Anyway, don't waste your time visiting this web site.
Afterthoughts
Originally when I visited the site, I was able to view the contents of
my hard drive through their Java Script exploit. However,
the latest Microsoft Java Virtual Machine security patch (September 18, 2002)
seems to have taken care of this problem.
--
PS: If anyone needs a FREE virus scanner and firewall, be sure to grab my
free report on How
to Stop Hackers and Viruses from Malicious Intent. And of course,
don't forget to keep your Windows
up to date! | 
