| Search Engine Google Aids Hackers Claim |
|
|
|
| Written by Administrator | |
| Wednesday, 29 June 2005 | |
|
Search Leader Google couldn't be reached for comment
on a claim that
"Google hacking" is making it easier for would-be
hackers to identify and infiltrate vulnerable sites.
Barry Cribb, MD of IS Digital Networks, tells that a
potential hacker can identify weaknesses in Web sites
simply by including the correct enquiries in the
advanced search boxes. "Obviously these criteria have been designed to help the average Net user refine their searches, but as they say in the classics, what can be used for good can also be used for evil. The real problem here is that the traffic is initially directed to the Google search engine cache, passing firewall or IDS detection mechanisms, so the victim is unaware a hacker has even discovered the vulnerability until it is too late." Cribb explained. By using specific commands combined with wild card characters, it becomes possible to build queries capable of searching for specific vulnerabilities in Internet-facing devices, thus providing hackers not only with more targets but finding them faster too. "This is emerging more and more in the public domain, because as more people become aware of this, they are curious, so it may even be done by someone who is simply trying it simply to see how it works, rather than a dedicated hacker," says Cribb. By entering a particular string into the Google search window, a list of about 38 000 sites with admin login pages will be returned. Cribb nominated the the recent Santy worm, as an example. That exploited a flaw in the popular bulletin board phpBB to spread - the worm just searched Google for sites which employed the vulnerable version. Examples of weaknesses that may be exploited by hackers are conventional login pages, welcome messages and error messages. "The best way of protecting yourself from the possibility of Google hacking is to change your default welcome message; change default error messages; remove the site - or at least parts of it - from the Google list, using the robots.txt file; and remove sensitive information from the Web site. Another way is to test the Google cache yourself by effectively hacking your own site, to see your site vulnerabilities from the point of view of an attacker," Cribb concluded. Reuben Dunn |
| < Previous | Next > |
|---|
