[Note] hackers may launch attacks by using Windows automatic updates.

Source: Internet
Author: User
Tags microsoft website

Computerworld reported that researchers from Symentec, a well-known computer security company, recently said they found that hackers are attempting to use the transfer components of Windows Update to bypass the firewall and spread malware.

Anyone familiar with the windows Update mechanism knows that the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a Background Service used by Windows Update, starting from Windows XP, you must enable Windows 2003 or even the latest Windows Vista to complete automatic updates. It provides automatic asynchronous file transfer, so that the download of Windows Update updates does not affect other network applications.

Elia Florio, a researcher at Symentec's security response team, said: "This is a very effective component that supports Http and programming through the com api. It is the best tool for Windows to download everything. Unfortunately, this includes malware. Part of the BITS operating system, trusted by all local firewalls, can bypass them to download anything ."

That is why hackers are interested. If you can transfer files to the target using Windows Update in the same way, it is undoubtedly the best way to spread Trojans and malware. Symantec first found a post discussing this intrusion method at the Russian hacker forum at the end of last year, and a trojan program in March this year was the first malware to put this idea into practice.

Symentec researchers believe that although hackers are attempting to hijack the BITS Service, it is not a problem. Their suggestion is to increase the permission level for allowing access to the BITS interface, or restrict BITS download tasks to specific secure URLs, such as downloading from the Microsoft website only. The researchers also said the hijacking attempt showed that hackers' work is becoming modularized and learning from the traditional software development industry to form their own development models.

At present, Microsoft has not responded to the potential abuse of BITS.

Related Article

Contact Us

The content source of this page is from Internet, which doesn't represent Alibaba Cloud's opinion; products and services mentioned on that page don't have any relationship with Alibaba Cloud. If the content of the page makes you feel confusing, please write us an email, we will handle the problem within 5 days after receiving your email.

If you find any instances of plagiarism from the community, please send an email to: info-contact@alibabacloud.com and provide relevant evidence. A staff member will contact you within 5 working days.

A Free Trial That Lets You Build Big!

Start building with 50+ products and up to 12 months usage for Elastic Compute Service

  • Sales Support

    1 on 1 presale consultation

  • After-Sales Support

    24/7 Technical Support 6 Free Tickets per Quarter Faster Response

  • Alibaba Cloud offers highly flexible support services tailored to meet your exact needs.