Browser Security Comparative Analysis: Socially Engineered Malware

The web browser is the primary vector by which malware is introduced to computers. Links in phishing emails, compromised web sites, and trojanized “free” software downloads all deliver malware via web browser downloads.

The web browser is also the first line of defense against malware infection. Browsers must provide a strong layer of defense from malware, rather than defer to antimalware solutions and operating system protections. This test examines the effectiveness of the leading web browsers in blocking malware.

During the testing period:

• Internet Explorer 10 with App Rep had a mean malware block rate of 99.1%, with App Rep adding 10.6% percent to the 88.5% URL reputation blocking achieved by the browser.
• Chrome with Google’s Malicious Download Protection had a mean block rate of 70.4%.  However, only 4.5% of the blocked malware was based upon URL reputation; Google’s Malicious Download Protection provided 65.8% additional protection.
• Firefox and Safari, which have no download protection, were only able to block 4.2% and 4.3% of the malware respectively. 

The four leading browsers were tested against over ninety-one thousand samples of real world malicious software. Major differences in the ability to block malware were observed. Data represented in this report was captured over twenty (20) days through NSS Labs’ unique live testing harness, and provides insight into the built-in protection capabilities of modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

To put the numbers in perspective, for every twenty encounters with socially engineered malware, Firefox and Safari users will be protected from approximately one attack. That means nineteen out of twenty socially engineered malware attacks against Firefox and Safari users will end up testing the user’s antivirus and/or operating system defenses. Chrome users will be protected from about fourteen of the twenty attacks, leaving their antivirus and operating systems responsible for protecting against six attacks, and IE10 users will generally be protected from all twenty attacks.

NEWS CONTENTS

• 20150926 : Intelligent System Hunts Out Malware Hidden In Shortened URLs ( Sep 26, 2015 , tech.slashdot.org )
• 20130226 : Microsoft ships IE10 for Windows 7 by Gregg Keizer ( February 26, 2013 , Computerworld )

Old News ;-)

[Sep 26, 2015] Intelligent System Hunts Out Malware Hidden In Shortened URLs

Sep 26, 2015 | tech.slashdot.org

Posted by timothy

An anonymous reader writes: Computer scientists at a group of UK universities are developing a system to detect malicious code in shortened URLs on Twitter. The intelligent system will be stress-tested during the European Football Championships next summer, on the basis that attackers typically disguise links to malicious servers in a tweet about an exciting part of an event to take advantage of the hype.

Anonymous Coward

Shouldn't browsers be changed to not simply follow the redirect, but ask the user first?

Zontar The Mindless

For TinyURL, you can enable preview of the full URL here [tinyurl.com]. Uses a cookie, though.

Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 26, 2015 @06:37AM (#50603143)

I can connect to the server and retrieve the redirect information manually. Works for all of them. But it's a) inconvenient, and b) not something everyone is able to do. Some addons seem to be available, but they don't do things nicely.

1) Patch the page directly (not just retrieve the data on mouse over), making it less original

2) Even retrieve the title of the redirection target (just that connection is enough to validate the existence of an email address)

My requirements are:

- shall not connect to the host of the shortened url (or any other -- no distinction between "normal" and shorted urls) unless clicked

- shall not connect to the the redirect target unless confirmed by the user, or the target is on the same host

Zontar The Mindless

Whatever. I despise shorteners, don't use them myself, and generally refuse to follow shortened URLs. Just bored and trying to be helpful.

[Feb 26, 2013] Microsoft ships IE10 for Windows 7 by Gregg Keizer

February 26, 2013 | Computerworld

Microsoft today released a final version of Internet Explorer 10 (IE10) for Windows 7, nearly two years after it introduced the browser at a company conference.

Customers who had earlier installed the IE10 preview will be the first to receive the upgrade through Windows Update. Others running IE9 on Windows 7 will be automatically upgraded "in the weeks ahead,"

Browser wars

• Microsoft ships IE10 for Windows 7
• Firefox to auto-block third-party ad cookies by summer
• Google fixes 22 flaws in Chrome, slams silent add-ons
• Mozilla debuts in-browser PDF, patches 13 Firefox bugs
• Opera's WebKit move gives it shot at iOS market
• Mozilla delivers 'Metro-ized' Firefox to testers
• Mozilla takes drastic step to automatically block virtually all plug-ins in Firefox
• Microsoft waived hearing in EU browser ballot antitrust case
• IE10 for Windows 7 nears final release, says report
• Mozilla lights JavaScript fire under Firefox 18

In April 2011, when Microsoft announced IE10 just weeks after the launch of IE9, analysts concluded that the company was moving to an annual release cycle. That did not happen -- IE10's debut came about two years after IE9, which appeared two years after IE8 -- although rumors of accelerated development have again surfaced

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Vol 25, No.12 (December, 2013) Rational Fools vs. Efficient Crooks The efficient markets hypothesis : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2013 : Unemployment Bulletin, 2010 :  Vol 23, No.10 (October, 2011) An observation about corporate security departments : Slightly Skeptical Euromaydan Chronicles, June 2014 : Greenspan legacy bulletin, 2008 : Vol 25, No.10 (October, 2013) Cryptolocker Trojan (Win32/Crilock.A) : Vol 25, No.08 (August, 2013) Cloud providers as intelligence collection hubs : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : Inequality Bulletin, 2009 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Copyleft Problems Bulletin, 2004 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Energy Bulletin, 2010 : Malware Protection Bulletin, 2010 : Vol 26, No.1 (January, 2013) Object-Oriented Cult : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2011 : Vol 23, No.11 (November, 2011) Softpanorama classification of sysadmin horror stories : Vol 25, No.05 (May, 2013) Corporate bullshit as a communication method  : Vol 25, No.06 (June, 2013) A Note on the Relationship of Brooks Law and Conway Law

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