ChatDD Blog

Cyberattacks also targeted Gmail rivals

Cyber attackers have attempted to infiltrate web-based email services run by Microsoft and Yahoo as well as Google. Hotmail and Yahoo Mail have been similarly targeted.

There has been a variety of recent attacks on popular webmail platforms. In addition to Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail have also been targeted. While the attacks appear to have been separately conducted, these have some significant similarities.

Cyber spying campaign originating in China had targeted Gmail accounts of senior US officials, military personnel, journalists, Chinese political activists, and officials in several Asian countries, mainly in South Korea. China has denied any involvement. Attacks on Hotmail and Yahoo Mail also appeared aimed at being able to secretly read messages and possibly find ways into other people s accounts.

Once the attackers know what software is installed on a target s computer, including antivirus products, they can craft a precise attack targeting any vulnerable software.

Microsoft released the latest version of its Internet Explorer Web browsing software free online, hoping to fend off recent challenges by Firefox and Google Chrome.

“IE9 has just released around the world.”

a booming voice told a cheering crowd in the Austin City Limits Live concert hall where a launch party was being held. Internet Explorer 9 was available for download in 30 languages at beautyoftheweb.com.

More than 40 million copies of IE9 have already been download as part of the process leading up to its official release, according to Microsoft.

I’ll choose some best layouts for you simple and beautiful.
Layout is the important factor for any kind of web, so always try to select layouts which are simple and easy to understand.

Apple on Wednesday released iOS 4.3, the latest update of its mobile operating system, two days sooner than expected.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs summarized the new features during the company’s iPad 2 launch event in San Francisco, Calif., last week.

The software powers Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices, which number over 160 million worldwide at the moment. It’s available through Apple’s Software Update control panel.

Apple has also made its iOS 4.3 SDK and Xcode 4, a new version of its integrated development environment (IDE), available to iOS developers. In addition, the company has updated its HTML5 ad creation tool, iAd Producer, to version 1.1.

iOS 4.3 promises faster Web browsing, thanks to an update to Apple’s Nitro JavaScript engine in the mobile version of Safari. Apple claims that the enhancement doubles mobile Safari’s JavaScript performance.

The iOS update also delivers a new feature called iTunes Home Sharing, which allows users to stream iTunes content — music or video — on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad over a local WiFi network.

Apple is also enhancing wireless content streaming from Apple TV devices through a previously introduced feature called AirPlay. iOS 4.3 allows streaming from third-party apps and Web sites through Apple TV, along with videos in the Photos app and previews in iTunes. In addition, AirPlay allows video captured on iOS devices to be streamed back to Apple TV via the Photos app.

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated feature in iOS 4.3 is the Personal Hotspot, which allows computer users to connect to an iPhone 4 over WiFi and then to use the phone’s cellular data network to reach the Internet. iOS 4.3 brings hotspot support to AT&T GSM iPhones; it was already enabled on Verizon CDMA iPhones.

iOS 4.3 add support for one new mobile app — Photo Booth, a mobile version of the Mac OS X picture taking app — and one updated app — a version of the company’s FaceTime video conferencing app that has been reworked for the iPad 2.

German Mac enthusiast site Macerkopf.de on Tuesday said it has received reports of an iOS 5 event in April when Apple will announce changes to its MobileMe service.

Apple has not announced any such event, but is widely believed to be working to make MobileMe a more appealing cloud-based service, possibly by allowing customers to stream their iTunes content to any of their Apple devices through Apple’s data centers.

An funny compilation of news reports, commercials and instructional videos from the early days of the Internet.

by
urlesque.com

Twitter has been resetting passwords for accounts that started distributing links promoting fake antivirus software in an attack that used Google’s Web address shortening service to conceal the links’ destination.

The links, masked by Google “goo.gl” URL shortener, bounce through a series of redirect URLs before landing on a Ukrainian top-level domain that then redirects to an IP address associated with other fake antivirus software scams, wrote Nicolas Brulez of Kaspersky Lab on a company blog.

Victims landing on the fake antivirus software page are prompted to scan their computer. If they approve the scan, the page asks if they want to remove threats from their computer: doing so starts the download of a bogus security program called “Security Shield.”

Fake antivirus programs remain a pervasive problem on the Internet, with hundreds of variations. The applications target Windows users, and the programs are often installed by exploiting vulnerabilities in a computer’s software. Once installed, the applications badger users to pay for a full version of the program. Many of the programs are totally ineffective at actually removing malware from a computer.

Del Harvey, head of Twitter’s Trust and Safety Team, wrote on her Twitter account that “we’re working to remove the malware links and reset passwords on compromised accounts.”

“Did you follow a goo.gl link that led to a page telling you to install ‘Security Shield’ Rogue AV?” she wrote. “That’s malware. Don’t install.”

Although Brulez classifed the attack as a worm, implying it spreads from account to account, Harvey said the issue was not related to a worm.

If the problem isn’t spreading between Twitter users, that raises the question of how the attack began.

One possibility is that it is related to an attack on Gawker Media in December. In that incident, the e-mail addresses and passwords for registered users of the media company’s Web sites were pilfered by a group called Gnosis. Twitter saw a raft of spam after the Gawker hack, as it is believed that many users used the same password for the Web sites, which made their Twitter accounts vulnerable.

Sunbelt Software, a security vendor now owned by GFI Software, provides detailed instructions of how to remove the Security Shield fake antivirus program in one of its forums.

Man on moon date is July 20 and Man on moon year is 1969 when the first man on moon Neil Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to land on the Moon, while Collins orbited in the Command Module. So finally man walk on moon was an imaginable concept.

Furthermore, see Nasa man on moon and Man on moon photos. These all are high Quality pictures, you must click on the pictures to see the enlarged version of it.

Man on moon Picture 1

With two currently functioning orbiters, and five more missions planned in the next year, Earth’s Moon may soon have seven active probes operated by five nations, with even more coming soon. NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon by 2020 are moving steadily ahead, with some concrete prototypes and initial designs beginning to emerge. Called the Constellation Program, NASA’s vision involves new and upgraded launch vehicles, exploration vehicles, autonomous rovers, new spacesuits, crew and cargo vehicles, and much more. Here are seven photographs of our possible future on the Moon, and a look back, with ten images from our last visits with the Apollo missions, more than 36 years ago now

Man on moon Picture 2


Looking Forward — Spacesuit engineer Dustin Gohmert drives NASA’s new lunar truck prototype through the moon-like craters of Johnson Space Center’s Lunar Yard. The lunar truck was built to make such off roading easy, with six wheels that can be steered independently in any direction. In addition, the steering center can turn a full 360 degree, giving the driver a good view of what’s ahead, no matter which way the wheels are pointing. (NASA/JSC)

Man on moon Picture 3


During field tests near Moses Lake, WA, NASA’s Autonomous Drilling Rover demonstrated dark autonomous nagivation with a light detection and ranging system. (NASA)

The Crew Mobility Chassis Prototype is NASA’s new concept for a lunar truck. Researchers were trying it out at Moses Lake, WA, as part of a series of tests of lunar surface concepts. One feature is its high mobility. Each set of wheels can pivot individually in any direction, giving the vehicle the ability to drive sideways, forward, backward and any direction in between — important if the truck becomes mired in lunar dust needs to zigzag down a steep crater wall or parallel park at its docking station. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 4

NASA’s ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) robotic vehicle seen during field tests near Moses Lake, WA. Athlete could be the RV of choice for future explorers. Its multi-wheeled dexterity could allow robots or humans to load, transport, manipulate and deposit payloads to essentially any desired site on the lunar surface. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 5


NASA’s lunar truck during field tests near Moses Lake, WA. Whatever direction the lunar truck is headed, the driver has a good view.. The astronauts’ perches can pivot 360 degrees. The whole wehicle can be lowered to the ground for easy access in bulky spacesuits. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 6


Testing a critical Launch Abort System. NASA and Alliant Techsystems (ATK) performed an igniter test of the Orion Launch Abort System at ATK’s Promontory Facility on June 13, which lasted for approximately 150 milliseconds. The igniter was just over 36 inches tall and was the first time the newly developed igniter had been tested. Its purpose is to ignite the primary motor on the LAS that pulls the capsule away during an emergency on the pad or during launch. (NASA and Alliant Techsystems)

Man on moon Picture 7


A mock-up of the NASA’s new Orion space capsule heads to its temporary home in a hangar at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. In late 2008, the full-size structural model will be jettisoned off a simulated launch pad at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to test the spacecraft’s astronaut escape system, which will ensure a safe, reliable method of escape for astronauts in case of an emergency. NASA’s Constellation program is building the Orion crew vehicle to carry humans to the International Space Station by 2015 and to the moon beginning in 2020. (NASA/Sean Smith)

Man on moon Picture 8


And Looking Back — A view of the Moon’s surface taken from lunar orbit in the summer of 1971. Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission to the Moon. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 9


April 20, 1972 – Apollo 16. A view from the Landing Module, looking toward the Command and Service Module with Earth over the lunar horizon. Astronauts John Young and Charles Duke took this shot as they piloted the LM down to the lunar surface. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 10


Also April 20, 1972 – The Command and Service Module named “Casper” viewed from the Lunar Module shortly after undocking. Astronaut Ken Mattingly stayed aboard the CSM while the LM went to the surface – orbiting over 60 times, and performing twenty-six separate scientific experiments. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 11


December 10, 1972 – Apollo 17. A tiny, distant Command and Service Module seen above the Taurus-Littrow landing site photographed from the Lunar Module as it descended to the Moon – the last time Men would set foot on the lunar surface. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 12


December, 1972 – Apollo 17. Astronaut Eugene Cernan drives the final Lunar Rover (of 3 total) sent to the Moon. Also seen is one leg of the Lunar Module, at right. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 13


December, 1972 – Apollo 17. Astronaut Harrison Schmitt near the Lunar Rover at Shorty crater. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 14


April, 1972 – Apollo 16. Astronaut Charles Duke’s family portrait, laid on the lunar surface. Pictured are Charles and Dotty Duke, and their sons Charles, 7, and Tom, 5. (NASA)

Man on moon Picture 15


July 21, 1969 – Apollo 11. The Lunar Module approaches the Command and Service Module for docking, with earthrise in background. Aboard the LM were astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, returning from a 21-hour stay on the Moon – the first Moon landing by Man. (NASA)

Microsoft issued an advisory on Monday about a security issue that could leave many Windows applications vulnerable to attack.

The advisory deals with a type of attack mechanism known as DLL preloading, or binary planting. Although the attack mechanism is not new or entirely unique to Windows, Microsoft acknowledged that there appears to be a new remote-attack vector that could allow more systems to be attacked quickly.

Two researchers at the University of California at Davis published a paper earlier this year on how programs that were vulnerable could be automatically detected. In recent days, security expert and Metasploit creator HD Moore published more information about this issue and is adding the vulnerability to his Metasploit program.

Moore said he did so in an effort to both make customers aware and encourage vendors to patch their applications, and he noted that he opted not to publicly list all the affected programs, though he did release a tool that helps users uncover which of their software could be vulnerable.

“As a compromise between releasing the full list of affected products and not saying anything at all, I decided to push a generic exploit module to the Metasploit Framework and release an audit kit that can be used to identify affected applications on a particular system,” Moore said in a blog post.” The audit kit should make it easier for other folks to identify vulnerable applications and hopefully have them addressed by the vendor.”

The existence of such proof-of-concept code makes it likely that an attack could appear in the wild soon, according to Joshua Talbot, a senior intelligence manager for Symantec security response. “Attackers then look at that and try to adapt it for their own uses,” he said.

Last Thursday, security research firm Acros Security warned that iTunes was vulnerable to such an attack. However, Moore and others point out that the vulnerability appears to affect far more than just iTunes, with potentially dozens of Windows programs similarly open to attack.

In the past, such attacks have required a malicious library to be implanted onto a local system. However, new research shows how the malicious code could also be planted on a network share, potentially making it much easier to attack vulnerable systems.

In its advisory on Monday, Microsoft said it has also issued guidance to developers on how to avoid the vulnerability and that it is checking its own code to see if any Microsoft products are at risk.

“We are currently conducting a thorough investigation into how this new vector may affect Microsoft products,” Microsoft said in a blog post.

Microsoft said it has also released a software tool that “allows system administrators to mitigate the risk of the vulnerability in question by altering the library-loading behavior for the operating system or for specific applications.”

Attacks using such libraries have been growing, as Windows and other operating systems have become more hardened to attacks that exploit memory corruption flaws, Talbot said.

Talbot recommended that users look at a mitigation suggested by Microsoft that involves changing a registry key setting so that libraries cannot be loaded over a network. Talbot also suggested that users take other steps, such as being cautious when clicking links or visiting unknown sites and also to make sure that their antivirus software is up-to-date.

Current antivirus software won’t necessarily stop a vulnerability from being exploited, Talbot said, but the software can sometimes detect the payloads that an attacker might try to install on a vulnerable system.