Software News

What is Troubleshooting?

What is the maximum cable length for a horizontal run according to EIA/TIA standards? 90 meters
A loopback connector may be connected to the far side of a TDR when the other end of the cabling is not accessible. True.
A network protocol is part of the software in an operating system that helps which layers of the OSI model run? Layers 3 through 7
Which section represents the layers of the OSI model important to understanding protocols? 3
Broadcasting and going through a server are two ways to accomplish name resolution. True.

Researcher finds new flaw in QuickTime for Windows
Petkov locates another one, but so far no known exploits
April 28, 2008 (IDG News Service) A security think tank says it has found a vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime multimedia player that can be exploited remotely to compromise Windows Vista PCs upgraded to Service Pack 1, as well as XP SP2.
From the scant details published on the GNUCitizen's blog, the exploit involves a maliciously crafted media file. When a user opens the file, which can be hosted on a Web site, the vulnerability in QuickTime allows the hacker to take complete control of the machine, according to Petko D. Petkov, known to the hacking community as "pdp."
Petkov doesn't think users are in danger of being attacked as of yet.
"I highly doubt that anyone knows how to exploit this vulnerability," Petkov said. "I haven't shared the details with anyone, and the actual vulnerability is different enough to be rather challenging for even some of the most gifted hackers out there."
In a video with a thumping techno beat, Petkov shows a QuickTime file sitting on the desktop of a PC running XP SP2. If a user opens the malicious file, Petkov then has control of the PC, demonstrated by the way the applications Paint, Calculator and Notepad are seen launching, apparently without further user intervention. The demonstration is repeated on a PC running Windows Vista inside a virtual machine.
Attacking vulnerabilities in applications is becoming increasingly favored by hackers, as finding problems in operating systems becomes increasingly harder, said Alan Paller, director of research for the SANS Institute, last week at the Infosec conference in London.
Petkov said Monday that he has notified Apple of the problem.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
QuickTime has proved to be one of the more porous applications. Apple, which doesn't have a regular patching schedule like Microsoft, patched the application for at least the sixth time earlier this month, fixing 11 vulnerabilities.

A researcher has found that Apple QuickTime is hacker prone. This is what happens: “When a user opens the file, which can be hosted on a Web site, the vulnerability in QuickTime allows the hacker to take complete control of the machine, according to Petko D. Petkov, known to the hacking community as "pdp." This can make many users open to having the PC or Mac hack able, though sources have said that users are safe as of now because it is very complicated for even gifted hackers to figure out how to exploit the file. The researcher says he has not given out any information on how to exploit the file. Many users use QuickTime; I also have used QuickTime many times before and I would be devastated if my laptop was hack.