Twitter Hit With Second Worm In a Week

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Twitter Hit With Second Worm In a Week

Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday September 27, 2010 @04:55AM from the security-is-hard dept.

adeelarshad82 writes "Days after a site update unleashed a Twitter cross-site scripting attack, the micro-blogging site was again hit with a bug that spread via questionable links. The offending messages appeared on a user's Twitter feed with 'WTF:' followed by a link. If you clicked on that link, you were taken to a blank page, but behind the scenes, the worm would post vulgar messages on your account that discussed, well, sex involving goats."

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Goatse Worm? by WrongSizeGlass · 2010-09-27 04:57 · Score: 3, Insightful

It's no surprise that you could get worms from having sex, well, with goats.
This is why... by thescreg · 2010-09-27 05:00 · Score: 5, Funny

It took me awhile to realize what was going on. This is pretty much what I post about on Twitter anyway.
Sex with goats? by The+Good+Reverend · 2010-09-27 05:02 · Score: 4, Funny

Um, no, actually. That really was me.
Re:where is that goatsex link when you need it? by ShaunC · 2010-09-27 05:03 · Score: 5, Informative

WTF: Goatse

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Re:I guess this script is baaaad for you. by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · 2010-09-27 05:04 · Score: 4, Informative

No. This is a Cross site Request Forgery attack. The Script in this case, was on the linked site, not in the tweet.

For those not in the know:

OWASP Cross Site Request Forgery Prevention sheet Sheet

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Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
Re:where is that goatsex link when you need it? by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-27 05:07 · Score: 5, Funny

Now I've seen everything!
A link to goatse is at "+2 Insightful" as I type this.
A historical day at slashdot to be sure
Yeah, yeah, yeah by microbee · 2010-09-27 05:11 · Score: 3, Funny

blame the virus, you perverts!
The early bird... by Anne_Nonymous · 2010-09-27 05:19 · Score: 4, Funny

...gets the worm.
Finally by rudy_wayne · 2010-09-27 05:47 · Score: 4, Funny

the worm would post vulgar messages on your account that discussed, well, sex involving goats
Finally!! Something worthwhile on Twitter.
Re:I guess this script is baaaad for you. by nacturation · 2010-09-27 05:50 · Score: 4, Informative

This post explains it quite well: http://www.andrewnacin.com/2010/09/26/csrf-twitter/
Essentially, just create one or more iframes, with the iframe source set to http://twitter.com/share/update?status=WTF+PAYLOAD
As long as you're logged into Twitter via the web, it will auto-post that update without any request for permission from you.

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Re:Great - more 4Chan? by amicusNYCL · 2010-09-27 05:53 · Score: 4, Insightful

You have to use twitter and be the type of person who clicks on questionable links without regard.
Which of these links is "questionable":
http://tinyurl.com/2tx
http://bit.ly/heezy
http://xrl.us/bh2p3m
That's what all of the links on Twitter look like, which are OK and which are questionable? How does one distinguish?

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"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
Re:Great - more 4Chan? by Dancindan84 · 2010-09-27 05:55 · Score: 5, Insightful

All of them. I don't click on shortened URLs. Nor should anyone who isn't a Rick Astley or Goatse fan.

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"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
Re:Great - more 4Chan? by icebraining · 2010-09-27 06:15 · Score: 4, Informative

Or you could install this GM script which expands them to the real URL without actually loading it.

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Re:I guess this script is baaaad for you. by miffo.swe · 2010-09-27 06:21 · Score: 3, Insightful

The fucking point of the internet is klicking on links. Playing whack a mole with stuff like antivirus, antispam, antiwhatever suggests your operating system is broken. If you have to verify every damn link you could as well just go for chess by physical mail and penpals instead of the internet.
The user uses the internet as intended, the developers, not so much.

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HTTP/1.1 400
Re:I guess this script is baaaad for you. by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-27 06:24 · Score: 3, Insightful

So you're saying that every single time a friend posts a link, you phone or email them and ask if you actually posted a link, and want a description of the page linked to?
Wow... you're a douche. If you were my friend, I'd have long since put you into a group that can't see my updates, or just de-friended you altogether.
Re:where is that goatsex link when you need it? by Jedi+Alec · 2010-09-27 07:19 · Score: 3, Informative

Next up: Twitter worms that discuss Natalie Portman naked and petrified, GNAA trolls and of course the classic penis bird.

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