Researchers: Popular Apps Mismanage Security

Big-name companies such as America Online and Adobe Systems could do a better job of writing secure software, according to a recent report by two Princeton University researchers.

The researchers looked at a number of popular applications, including AOL Instant Messenger and Adobe Photoshop, and determined that many of them made changes to the operating system that could allow attackers to bypass some Windows security mechanisms (a PDF of the report is available).

The Princeton team focused on the Windows access control system, which determines what types of things users and applications can do on any given PC. The conclusion: Many programs ask for too many privileges, opening the door for potential attackers.

Vendor Mistakes

"Vendors are making mistakes when they write programs for Windows," says Sudhakar Govindavajhala, a Princeton PhD student and one of the authors of the paper. "It's worrying that your computer can become insecure on installation of new programs."

An attacker would first need to gain access to a local account on a computer to take advantage of the problems described in the paper, Govindavajhala says. "These attacks are not exploitable over the Internet, but if someone can get a handle of your machine, then one can do interesting things," he says.

After years of focusing on Windows, attackers are increasingly targeting the software that is running on top of the operating system, according to the SANS Institute, a training organization for computer security professionals. SANS lists instant messaging applications, media players, and backup software among the most critical areas for new security vulnerabilities.

No Application Is Safe

Another Princeton computer scientist who is familiar with the paper says that the research shows just how widespread these "privilege escalation" problems really are. "For the average user, it's a reminder that software applications can open security holes and that application vendors do make mistakes that can cause risks for users," says Ed Felten, a professor of computer science and public affairs. "No application should be considered completely safe."

The MediaMax copy-protection software used by Sony BMG Music Entertainment was recently discovered to have this kind of privilege-escalation flaw, according to Felten. MediaMax's producer, SunnComm Technologies, has since patched the problem, he says.

The security vulnerabilities that Govindavajhala and his coauthor Andrew Appel discovered have been fixed in the AIM client and in Adobe's products, but there are other programs that suffer from the same problem, Govindavajhala says.

Govindavajhala does not want to name specific unpatched products because that information could be used by attackers, he says.