Green Dam web filter still vulnerable to exploits
Friday, June 26, 2009
Green Dam Youth Escort, the web filtering software China is requiring PC-makers to preinstall on all new machines sold in the country starting July 1, is still vulnerable to exploits that web security experts warn could lead to the creation of a botnet for spreading malware.
China's government insists that the software is necessary for blocking access to pornographic content, but researchers using the software said it also blocks political content and tracks online activity.
Earlier this month, security researchers from the University of Michigan identified two security flaws that could have allowed remote parties to execute arbitrary code and take control of the computer, which the software maker has since patched.
But the researchers said last week they had discovered another security hole on the latest version which a maliciously-crafted website could exploit to take control of the computer. It took them only an hour to find the bug, they said.
The researchers wrote that making Green Dam safe from exploits will require substantial changes and careful retesting.
"It is unlikely that the required changes can be completed … before China's July 1 deadline for mandatory distribution of Green Dam with new PCs," they wrote.
Another security researcher has posted attack code to the Milw0rm website, which has been circulating in the wild for a week, according to CNET News.
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