Notepad++ Update Fixes 'CIA Hacking' Issue (archive.org)
Free software Notepad++ (released under the GNU General Public License) received a new update this week which was announced under the headline "Fix CIA Hacking Notepad++ Issue". The CIA documents in WikiLeaks' 'Vault 7' included a "Notepad++ DLL Hijack" document which affected the popular Windows editor for text and source code. "It's not a vulnerability/security issue in Notepad++, but for remedying this issue, from this release (v7.3.3) forward, notepad++.exe checks the certificate validation in scilexer.dll before loading it," reads the announcement. From the Notepad++ web site:
If the certificate is missing or invalid, then it just won't be loaded, and Notepad++ will fail to launch. Checking the certificate of DLL makes it harder to hack.
Note that once users' PCs are compromised, the hackers can do anything on the PCs. This solution only prevents from Notepad++ loading a CIA homemade DLL. It doesn't prevent your original notepad++.exe from being replaced by modified notepad++.exe while the CIA is controlling your PC.
The update also includes "a lot of enhancements and bug-fixes," and if no critical issues are found, "Auto-updater will be triggered in few days."
Note that once users' PCs are compromised, the hackers can do anything on the PCs. This solution only prevents from Notepad++ loading a CIA homemade DLL. It doesn't prevent your original notepad++.exe from being replaced by modified notepad++.exe while the CIA is controlling your PC.
The update also includes "a lot of enhancements and bug-fixes," and if no critical issues are found, "Auto-updater will be triggered in few days."
It helps knowing all those things. Now, whoever isn't lazy/incompetent/in bed with the CIA will implement required changes to eliminate vulnerabilities.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
In Soviet 'Russia' notepads hack you
This is why I still do all of my development work in edlin.
I just use cat. I guess Ed is secure too since no one else's it anymore
http://saveie6.com/
In peace and freedom loving USA secret police hack you and your TV and phone and car and computer.
"... punched tape..."
Punched tape!!! Some people have to jump on new technology. I engrave characters in stone. Let the CIA try to modify that remotely.
https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/...
Chrome Portable DLL Hijack
Chromelooks for "DWrite.dll", a system DLL, adjacent to itself (under \app\Chrome-bin) before correctly finding it
This DLL is ideal for hijacking as it only exports one function (at ordinal #1) with the following prototype:
HRESULT DWriteCreateFactory(DWRITE_FACTORY_TYPE, REFIID, IUnknown**)
The DWRITE_FACTORY_TYPE is an enum defined in Dwrite.h, however we cannot #include this header as doing so will declare the function as an extern.
Instead, we can either create a dummy enum with only two values (as the real DWRITE_FACTORY_TYPE only has two options) or simply use a INT variable in its place.
Yeah, but who checks the checkers?
(How do you know that you're running the real Notepad++?)
LibreOffice Portable DLL Hijack shows a huge wall of DLL loads.
Procmon screenshot of some vulnerable DLL loads:
TL;DR: use dbgcore.dll in \app\libreoffice\program
Do we have a mole?
From the Notepad++ page (and even the Slashdot summary): "Note that once usersâ(TM) PCs are compromised, the hackers can do anything on the PCs."
Repeat after me: If my computer is compromised, there's nothing that any individual app on the system can do to protect itself from being hijacked.
There's nothing to see here.
Geany (Linux/Mac/Window$) is a lot better than Notepad++ anyway. And guess who doesn't use dll's? Unix. Stop with the Window$ already. Linux is free and other than video games and deliberately installed spyware, it does everything Window$ does. And for anyone that's tried Linux and had problems, it's because of all the 64-bit Qt eye candy running on a motherboard that just a few years ago, was impossible to install anything else but Window$ or ChromeOS on and they both did it on purpose. If your computer came with Windows 7 or earlier or any MacBook, it'll run Linux just fine. If you're a graphics gaming weirdo trying to hack your card, what you break or crash out of impatience is your own fault. I dare anyone to tell me what Window$ does better, besides video games (duh). And even then, that's really a Direct issue. OpenGL has come a long way. Though, be aware that Visual Basic is now available for Linux, as well as Unreal Engine. Both Game Maker Studio and Unity3D export to Ubuntu (64-bit). Daz Studio and Office 2013 run via WINE on Linux as well. There's not a whole lot it can't do, it's just there's not as much money in developing for Linux at the moment unless you do server work. Linux and open source software have a lot more documentation too.
I just went to lookseek. Looks like they don't have even close to the search results - they aren't indexing what google is and can't even be close.
Sooooo, I don't get the results I need. Back to google. Nice try for marketing but like AMD , you fall short.
Intel CPU Backdoor Alert (Updated Mar 12, 2017)
The goal of this report is to make the existence of Intel CPU backdoors a common knowledge.
What we know about the Intel backdoor so far:
TL;DR version
Your Intel CPU and Chipset is running a backdoor as we speak:
The backdoor hardware is inside the CPU/Bridge and the backdoor firmware is in the chipset flash chip (Intel Management Engine).
ccc.de: "Our presentation covers a DMA malware that benefits from an isolated network channel to update the attack code and to exfiltrate captured data. To be more precise, we show how to conduct a DMA attack using Intel's Manageability Engine (ME)."
30C3 Intel ME live hack, @21m43s, keystrokes leaked from Intel ME outside the OS, wireshark cannot detect packets:
[Video Link] 30C3: Persistent, Stealthy, Remote-controlled Dedicated Hardware Malware
The backdoor firmware can be removed by following this guide using the me_cleaner script.
Removal is tricky and requires a Raspberry Pi (with GPIO pins) and a SOIC clip.
The situation is out of control and the Libreboot/Coreboot community is looking for BIOS/Firmware experts to help with the Intel ME decoding effort. If you are skilled in BIOS/Firmware, download some of the Intel ME firmware from this collection have a go at it (Intel used various decode counter measures, explained below).
Useful links:
The Intel ME subsystem can take over your machine, can't be audited
REcon 2014 - Intel Management Engine Secrets
Untrusting the CPU (33c3)
Towards (reasonably) trustworthy x86 laptops
1. Introduction, what is Intel ME
Short version, from Intel staff:
Re: What Intel CPUs lack Intel ME secondary processor?
Amy_Intel Feb 8, 2016 9:27 AM
The Management Engine (ME) is an isolated and protected coprocessor, embedded as a non-optional part in all current Intel chipsets, I even checked with the engineering department and they confirmed it.
Long version:
ME: Management Engine
The Intel Management Engine (ME) is a separate computing environment physically located in the MCH chip or PCH chip replacing ICH.
The ME consists of an individual processor core, code and data caches, a timer, and a secure internal bus to which additional devices are connected, including a cryptography engine, internal ROM and RAM, memory controllers, and a direct memory access (DMA) engine to access the host operating system's memory as well as to reserve a region of protected external memory to supplement the ME's limited internal RAM. The ME also has network access with its own MAC address through the Intel Gigabit Ethernet Controller integrated in the southbridge (ICH or PCH).
The Intel Management Engine with its proprietary firmware has complete access to and control over the PC: it can power on or shut down the PC, read all open files, examine all running applications, track all keys pressed and mouse movements, and even capture or display images on the screen. And it has a network interface that is demonstrably insecure, which can allow an attacker on the networ
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The CIA had to get me to install and register a malicious DLL. If they can get me to do that then they can do worse than this. It just seems like the DLL is a place for them to have hidden a malicious payload. They could have chosen a number of other places and likely will just switch now.
This isn't a hack of notepad++
http://web.archive.org/web/201...
Quit spamming fuckboy, nobody cares about your useless shit.
NSA/CIA minions working overtime.
I submit you do care. Your fear of your admoney or botnet being taken out is palpable and obvious.
Got mixed feelings about this. There's a real security risk that this would help a lot with. But... user desires and code bloat always expand to take all available resources. So, there is a downside.
What if the executable itself is compromised? Really, we need a coherent philosophy re digital signing. Do we cede control to the owners of the certificates, or to hackers? I say neither. If the signature is broken, always inform the user and always let the user make a command decision.
If the owner of a host signs his own executables, that's fine - if he builds them himself from source. Make sure we allow this on all binaries. Don't mandate a particular signing authority. But then we must inform always inform the user at runtime just who signed what he's about to load. Because hackers can sign, too.
Informed consent, and the user beware.
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Wow, that CIA user does seem a bit clueless. From the leak:
"Notepad++ loads Scintilla, a "code editing component" [...] This DLL exports only one funciton named "Scintilla_DirectFunction" at ordinal #1 [...]
For the life of me, I couldn't get this function to be called – I even installed additional plugins that were supposed to interact with Scintilla directly."
How about googling? The exported function is just a workaround for languages that don't support fetching the function pointer via SendMessage(), so it really shouldn't come as a surprise Notepad++ never calls it.
Can we PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop with this crap about how certificates create security? Just because things are signed by a trusted certificate doesn't mean they are secure. We know this is true because those who issue certificates are not themselves trustworthy, as they play for the CIA/NSA/FBI/GSA team.
Every Windows PC installed comes with a bunch of "trusted" certificates in their certificate stores, which automatically trust certs signed by Verisign and dozens of other untrustworthy certificate issuers.
Every HTTPS connection out there can be MITMed by anyone with a back door into a "trusted" CA.
There is no such thing as security on today's Internet. None at all. Let's just dispense with the myth of security today and figure out what to do next.
Wouldn't this make it really easy for an attacker to "deny" Notepad++? Presumably cause them the users will switch to CiaHacksULongTimeEditor ?
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Ads/script & malware rob speed/security/privacy
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