Internet Security and Programming

It would great if the compromised Web servers I wrote about last week at Lawrence Livermore National Labs were an aberration, but sadly they are not. Conducting a simple Google search for adult-themed search terms found in “.gov” domains produces some very interesting results, including pages serving up adult videos along with a generous helping of spyware. Several pages on both the official Web sites for the State of Louisiana and the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority show up prominently in the search results for porn at dot-gov domains. A handful of pages on those sites feature a blank video player that prompts the visitor to install a special video “codec” in order to view the adult movie. Visitors who agree to install the codec inadvertantly agree to also install a piece of spyware that modifies your browser’s home page, produces security alert icons on the victim’s Windows desktop, […]

Read more…