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Security

Submission + - Foxit One-Ups Adobe in Blocking PDF Attack Tactic (computerworld.com)

Submitted by CWmike
CWmike writes: Foxit Software, the developer of a rival PDF viewer to Adobe's vulnerability-plagued Reader, released an update on Tuesday that blocks some attacks with a 'safe mode' that's switched on by default. Foxit Reader 3.3 for Windows' 'Trust Manager' blocks all external commands that may be tucked into a PDF document. 'The Foxit Reader 3.3 enables users to allow or deny unauthorized actions and data transmission, including URL connection, attachment PDF actions, and JavaScript functions,' the update's accompanying text explains. Last week, several security companies warned of a major malware campaign that tried to dupe users into opening rigged PDFs that exploited an unpatched design flaw in the PDF format, one attackers could use to infect users of Adobe's and Foxit's software. That flaw in the PDF specification's '/Launch' function was disclosed in late March by Belgium security researcher Didier Stevens, who demonstrated how he could abuse the feature to run malware embedded in a PDF document. He also reported he had figured out how to change Adobe Reader's warning to enhance the scam.
The Courts

Submission + - Court: RapidShare doesn't need to filter uploads (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by suraj.sun
suraj.sun writes: Yesterday RapidShare announced ( http://rapidshare.com/news.html ) that it triumphed in its appeal over copyright holders who demanded that the service take more steps to control online infringement. Because RapidShare does not make uploaded files publicly available (those who upload them can control access), the court found that it could not be held liable for distribution and that running filename filters on all uploads would produce too many false positives.

In addition, the appeals court took aim at several filtering schemes. Blocking all files of a certain type (such as RAR files) was deemed inappropriate, since a file type has no bearing on the legality of an upload. Scanning by IP address was also tossed, because numerous people can use a single IP address. File name filtering tells you nothing about the contents of a file, so that was tossed. Even content scanning was problematic, as the court noted that this would just lead to encrypted files. Besides, even if you could know that a file was copyrighted, it could still be a legal "private backup" not distributed to anyone else.

ARS Technica: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/court-rapidshare-doesnt-need-to-filter-uploads.ars

Comment What about Radar? (Score 1) 515

by dainichi (#28863251) Attached to: English DJ Claims Wi-Fi Allergy
So, Why haven't we heard of people with cell phone allergies, or Air traffic control radar allergies? It does operate in the range of interest, and it tends to output massive amounts of energy, so, i see no reason why it would be any different from wifi.
Windows

Submission + - Even Newer Windows 7 Build 7600 Claims to be RTM (tomshardware.com)

Submitted by
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam writes: "Leaked builds of Windows 7 hitting file sharing networks are claiming to be "very, very possible FINAL RTM build." More than one piracy scene group today released iso disc images that bear the build string and filename "7600.16385.090713-1255_x86fre_client_en-us_Retail_Ultimate-GRMCULFRER_EN_DVD.iso." It's unclear how different this is from build 7600 that leaked onto the internet last Sunday, though the filename indicates that it was compiled on July 13, 2009 at 12:55 p.m., making it a few days newer than the one previously leaked."
The Internet

Submission + - Music industry wants cut of Pirate Bay sale (cnet.com)

Submitted by suraj.sun
suraj.sun writes: The music industry will attempt to seize money paid to acquire the Pirate Bay, according to a high-level music industry source and a spokesman for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the trade group representing the music industry worldwide.

Global Gaming Factory, a Swedish software company, made big news two weeks ago by announcing that it would acquire the Pirate Bay, the popular outlaw file-sharing site, for $7.8 million.

Since then the company has been touting a new business model and even hiring executives, such as Wayne Rosso, the former Grokster president, to legally obtain content from film and music industries.

What remains to be seen is how that sale might be affected by attempts by the music industry to collect the $3.6 million damages that a court in Sweden awarded it in April.

Alex Jacob, a spokesman for the IFPI, said that the group has always intended to collect the damages award, but now, should the sale go through, music execs know that the original Pirate Bay operators have access to the money.

CNET News : http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10288495-93.html
Security

Submission + - Free rainbow tables looking for new admin (freerainbowtables.com)

Submitted by lee
lee writes: After almost three years online, the admin of Free Rainbow Tables has decided to call it a day, citing a lack of time to keep it running (I'm sure that you all know a rainbow table is essentially a giant list of precomputed hashes). This is a shame, as the site is a useful resource for those occasions when you really need an existing password exposing rather than simply changing it; being a Windows admin, this site has come in very handy in the past! The currently computed tables weigh in at well over half a terabyte, are available as torrents from the site, or from a couple of mirrors (and alternatives are available). As well as being useful in that you can download your own copies of the tables, the site also has a downloadable client that'll put your idle cycles to work computing ever-greater tables, and a space-saving format for storing the tables. It's not all bad news though — he is willing to hand over source code if you wish to take over, though I suspect hosting is not included!
The Internet

Submission + - New Zealand proposes new 3 strikes law for P2P (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by suraj.sun
suraj.sun writes: On the hill of Australian ( http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/07/15/1251201/Australia-Considering-P2P-Three-Strikes-Law ) and renewed French ( http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/07/12/0111247/French-3-Strikes-Law-Returns-In-Slightly-Altered-Form ) 3-strikes laws, New Zealand proposes new 3-strikes process for P2P users.

New Zealand's last attempt at forcing through a "graduated response law" to disconnect repeat online copyright infringers ended in failure as the government withdrew the plan. After some thoughtful work on the idea, the government is back with a revised proposal, and it wants to hear from the public.

Given the rancorous debate over the subject, the government scrapped its law earlier this year ( http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/3-strikes-strikes-out-in-nz-as-government-yanks-law.ars ) and went back to the drawing board. It convened a working group of "intellectual property and Internet law experts" to advise it on a fair solution to the problem of repeated online copyright infringement. That group has now concluded its work, and New Zealand's Ministry of Economic Development yesterday issued its policy proposal ( PDF : http://www.med.govt.nz/upload/68683/proposal-document.pdf ) for public comment.

Under the government's new plan, Internet disconnection remains on the table, as do fines. But the plan also gives those accused of infringement more power to contest the claims, to use mediation, and to (possibly) appeal penalties to the regular legal system.

ARS Technica : http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/new-zealand-proposes-new-3-strikes-process-for-p2p-users.ars
Patents

Submission + - Yet Another Linux Patent Agreement with MS (zdnet.com)

Submitted by
Lorien_the_first_one
Lorien_the_first_one writes: "ZDNet reports that yet another company has signed a patent protection deal with Microsoft. According to the article by Mary Jo Foley, "On July 15, Microsoft signed a patent-coverage deal with Melco Holdings, the Japanese-based parent company of Buffalo Inc. and Buffalo Group. Buffalo makes network-attached storage (NAS) and routers, including the LinkStation and AirStation products." Many who witnessed and still remember the Microsoft-Novell agreement were critical of the decision."
The Courts

Submission + - Australian website bans Australians

Submitted by Nazlfrag
Nazlfrag writes: Earlier this month the blog and discussion forum ZGeek was sued for $42 million AUD over a users comment. The plaintiffs are aspiring movie producers who claim to have lost a movie deal due to a 9/11 conspiracy discussion thread. Even though the initial lawsuit has been thrown out and the company complied with lawyers demands by taking down the offending posts it is believed the plaintiffs will file suit again. In addition to suing the forum, in an Australian first they have been granted an injunction to force the ISPs to disclose the IP addresses of the two posters involved. Due to the risk of incurring even greater legal costs the company is closing its doors in Australia and will ban their fellow countrymen from posting there again.
Announcements

Submission + - 100 Million Year Old Crocodile Skull Unearthed (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by squiggly12
squiggly12 writes: It appears that this skull has been unearthed in North Arlington, Texas.

"We have over 50 bones exposed," said The University of Texas at Arlington dinosaurs lecturer Derek Main, who heads the project. "They are truly impressive. The teeth measure 6.5 centimeters, larger than my thumb."
Government

Submission + - Conservative government of Canada moves to monitor (blogs.com)

Submitted by
Jesse Kline
Jesse Kline writes: "The Harper Conservative government in Canada has proposed legislation that would force ISPs to install costly monitoring equipment on their networks and give the government expanded powers to monitor & censor its citizens Internet use. Unless MPs hear from their constituents, it will likely pass in the fall--but you can protect yourself from monitoring. A new series of articles in the Western Standard looks at what this legislation means and then goes on to explore how to use free software to thwart government spies and censors on the Internet."

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