Internet Security Threat Report

Volume XIII Highlights

Attackers have adopted stealth tactics that prey on end users on individual computers via the World Wide Web, rather than attempting high-volume broadcast attacks to penetrate networks. This may be because enterprise network attacks are now more likely to be discovered and shut down, whereas specifically targeted malicious activity on end-user computers and/or web-sites is less likely to be detected. Site-specific vulnerabilities are perhaps the most telling indication of this trend.

Site-specific vulnerabilities affect custom or proprietary web-site code. These vulnerabilities are a concern because they allow attackers to compromise specific web-sites, which can then be used to launch subsequent attacks. Social networking sites are a favorite target, as a successful compromise gives attackers access to a large number of people who are likely to trust the site. These sites often expose confidential user information that can then be used in attempts to conduct identity theft or online fraud.

Table 1. Site-specific Vulnerabilities
Source: Symantec CorporationDuring the last six months of 2007, 11,253 site-specific cross-site scripting vulnerabilities were documented, compared to 6,961 between February and June in the first half of the year.