full-disclosure - HTA/<object> vulnerability

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From: rms at computerbytesman.com (Richard M. Smith)
Subject: HTA/<object> vulnerability

   >>> Has anyone has been able to confirm that the 
   >>> HTA/<object> tag vulnerability
   >>> is exploitable in Outlook and Outlook express? 

If someone is running an old version of Outlook or they have fiddled
with their Outlook security settings, then the bug is, of course,
exploitable from an HTML email message.

The vulnerability can also be exploited from an HTML email message using
a javascript: URL in a link.  The user would have to click on the link
in order for the JavaScript code to be executed.

Here's an example:

    <a href="javascript:alert('Oops!')">Click Me</a>

In Outlook and probably Outlook Express, javascript: URLs will still
execute in spite of scripting being turned off.  I reported this problem
to Microsoft more than a year ago, but they don't seem to consider a
security hole.

There is also a method of automatically executing javascript code using
a Windows Media Player file embedded in an HTML email message using an
IFRAME tag.  One version of this security hole has been fixed, but I
think other versions of the problem might be still lurking about.
Turning off background sounds in Web pages might be a prudent move.

Richard M. Smith
http://www.ComputerBytesMan.com