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Hackers Release Tools to Access Secure Online Transactions

by Tim Stevens on February 20, 2009 at 09:01 AM

Hackers Release Tools to Exploit SSL FlawRemember that massive Internet addressing flaw that broke late last summer? The one that has the potential to let any malicious hacker out there intercept traffic to any site and, more dangerously, pose as any official site? Well, it's been patched by most, but some are a little slow on the draw, and an attendee to the Black Hat security conference has indicated he is releasing a tool that should make attacking the exploit painfully easy.

The hacker goes by the name Moxie Marlinspike and is planning to release a tool called SSLstrip, named after SSL. It would allow malicious hackers to quickly and easily capture network traffic and intercept supposedly secure transactions, such as the kind you conduct with your bank or if you're buying something online. With this in place a hacker could capture your bank account number, username and password, credit card numbers, and all manners of sensitive information.

The only catch (for Moxie and other hackers) is that the browser padlock graphic, which typically pops up on your web browser indicates a secure connection, is absent when this software is attacking a user's connections, meaning a user who is paying attention might just notice the flaw. It's unlikely this attack will become too common, but, regardless, it serves as a reminder to look for that padlock whenever doing anything that calls for a secure connection. [From: Forbes]

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Tags: dns, moxie marlinspike, MoxieMarlinspike, padlock, privacy, security, ssl, sslstrip

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