Google Desktop Search Discloses Local Search Integration Results to Remote Users
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SecurityTracker Alert ID: 1012624
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SecurityTracker URL: http://securitytracker.com/id?1012624
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CVE Reference: GENERIC-MAP-NOMATCH
(Links to External Site)
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Date: Dec 20 2004
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Impact: Disclosure of system information, Disclosure of user information
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Fix Available: Yes
Vendor Confirmed: Yes
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Version(s): prior to 121004
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Description: A vulnerability was reported in Google Desktop Search. A remote user can access the local search integration results on the target user's system.
Dan Wallach reported that a remote user can create a Java applet that, when loaded by the target user, will execute queries to the
remote server that served the Java applet that appear to the Google Desktop Search application to be valid Google queries, causing
the search application to integrate the local search results with the information returned by the remote server that served the
Java applet. The applet running on the target user's system will then have access to the integrated local search results and can
forward those results to the remote server.
A similar exploit method exists using Javascript instead of Java.
These attacks
work only if the target user has enabled local search integration (via the Preferences menu).
The flaw was discovered as part
of a research project by Seth Fogarty and Seth Nielson (Rice graduate students), advised by Dan Wallach (a Rice professor).
The
original technical report is available at:
http://seclab.cs.rice.edu/gdesktop-tr-dec04.pdf
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Impact: A remote user can access the local search integration results on the target user's system.
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Solution: The vendor has released a fixed version (121004) as of December 10, 2004.
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Vendor URL: desktop.google.com/ (Links to External Site)
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Cause: Access control error
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Underlying OS: Windows (Any)
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Message History:
None.
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Source Message Contents
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Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 05:31:14 -0500
Subject: http://seclab.cs.rice.edu/
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http://seclab.cs.rice.edu/gdesktop-tr-dec04.pdf
A vulnerability was reported in Google Desktop Search. A remote user can access
small portions of information (the local search integration results) on the target
user's system.
Versions prior to 121004 are affected.
A remote user can create a Java applet that, when loaded by the target user, will
execute queries to the host that served the Java applet that appear to the Google
Desktop Search application to be valid Google queries, causing the search application
to integrate the local search results with the information returned by the host that
served the Java applet. The applet running on the target user's system will then have
access to the integrated local search results.
A similar exploit method exists using Javascript instead of Java.
These attacks work only if the target user has enabled local search integration (via
the Preferences menu).
The flaw was discovered as part of a research project by Seth Fogarty and Seth Nielson
(Rice graduate students), advised by Dan Wallach (a Rice professor).
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