Access member only content, take part in discussions with comments on blogs, news and reviews and receive all the latest security industry news directly to your inbox. Join now for free.
A confirmation email has been sent to your email address - SUPPLIED EMAIL HERE. Please click on the link in the email to verify your email address. You need to verify your email before you can start posting.
If you do not receive your confirmation email within the next few minutes, it may be because the email has been captured by a junk mail filter. Please ensure you add the domain @scmagazine.com.au to your white-listed senders.
Researchers at Secure Science have devised the attack that forces users to send out a predetermined Twitter message, but it could be repurposed into a worm.
Lance James, chief scientist with Secure Science, explained that the hack is similar to a clickjacking attack that was used on Twitter last month, where hackers used a technique to trick users into clicking on a link that would post the Twitter message saying ‘don't click' along with a URL.
However this time, the researchers found a way to take advantage of a programming error on the Twitter support site to post the unwanted message. After a warning message, Secure Science's test code posts the message ‘@XSSExploits I just got owned!' to the victim's profile. James claimed that the attack could be modified so that there was no warning screen, and a sensational message be planted that users would be more likely to click. If this were combined with malicious browser attack code, it could be used to take control of the machine. James said: “I'm holding my breath hoping no one does something stupid at this moment. We don't want to cause any damage to Twitter.”
James claimed that the attack could be modified so that there was no warning screen, and a sensational message be planted that users would be more likely to click. If this were combined with malicious browser attack code, it could be used to take control of the machine. James said: “I'm holding my breath hoping no one does something stupid at this moment. We don't want to cause any damage to Twitter.”
James said: “I'm holding my breath hoping no one does something stupid at this moment. We don't want to cause any damage to Twitter.”
See original article on scmagazineuk.com