Uh oh!  Microsoft and the Linux kernel today faced exploit code being posted to milw0rm.  Although the Microsoft vuln is, obviously, getting much more attention do your due diligence to check both out.  The Microsoft exploit affects IIS5.0/6.0 and is a remote overflow while the Linux sploit code is the local NULL pointer dereference we've seen talked about more recently.  Get 'em while they're hot!
[Linux Kernel sock_sendpage()]
[Microsoft 5.0/6.0 FTPd Remote Root]

ThreatChaos is claiming Cisco better be watching their back due to a new integrated platform 3COM has just unveiled.  Basically the claim is that routing platforms are, and have been, a commodity for years now and that integrating security functionality (not sure how firewall functionality is "new" here since all of the features listed are, and have been in high-end firewall platforms for a considerable time now) will be the new defacto standard.
[Watch out Cisco]

MacPorts, today, get's a significant point release.  1.8.0 is out on the table now with disk images out for Snow Leopard if you've done a clean install over the weekend (I did).
[MacPorts 1.8.0 Released]

The TrendLabs Malware Blog has a good rundown of info around the trojan that's targeting Skype users.  The trojan hooks the send and receive APIs so that the voice conversations can be saved before any encryption is applied.  Trend says the trojan looks to be rather tame now with regards to the fact that it's not actively sending data out today, but that doesn't mean it won't in the future either.
[Trojan Targets Skype Users]

Now I'm not a big fan of SolarWinds utilities to begin with.  Sure, over the years I've used some of their utilities but when it takes multiple megs of proprietary code to install a TFTP server one has to wonder what's really packed in there.  The products themselves are rather underwhelming and there's far better free alternatives available.  But, if you'd like to mess with that coworker that is all about SolarWinds tools tell him/her to spin up the TFTP server for you to DoS.  The PoC code is there in the links as well.
[SolarWinds TFTP Server DoS]

Saint 7.1.1 was released today with some handy new features and vulnerability checks.  Check out the Security Database Tools site for the rundown.
[Saint 7.1.1 Released]

Could that medical imaging procedure you just had pose a serious risk to your long-term health?  CNET has published that 2% of all cancers could be attributed to radiation during CT scans alone.  Scary stuff.  So should more disclosure be required to help patients make a more informed decision?
[Medical-Imaging Procedures Always Worth the Risk]

The SSA is supposedly testing Microsofts HealthVault (their online health record service).  It's one thing for a particular hospital or clinic to do this, because then I can avoid them at all costs.  The SSA on the other hand, not very avoidable.  Who's making these decisions?
[SSA Testing Microsoft HealthVault]

When in doubt, reformat.  An interesting and, rather non-technical and unscientific, reasoning behind the motto.  Interesting for the perspective alone from a typical end user.  I got the chills when reading the part about IE 6.
[When in Doubt, Reformat]

So is the Conficker worm sitting dormant until an opportune time?  John Markoff has a slightly FUDish piece up that describes the "rogue software" as a ghost ship.  Maybe it was written by the Chinese government to see how far it could infect machines deep within the confines of the Pentagon?  But maybe our own government is behind it...  What do YOU think?
[Conficker Waiting to Strike]

And that's all for the commentary tonight boys and girls.  Here's some links that are news noteworthy as well!
-windexh8er

[Best Definition Ever]
[Security Solution for Craigslist]
[St. Luke Worker Accused of Stealing CC]
[Bill Tones Down Power to Shut Web]
[Trend Launches New Security Tracking Tool]

Generally I'd like to stay away from vendors advertising new, must-have, fabulous, can't-live-without technology - but BreakingPoint posted something that just looks too damn cool.  "Write and simulate your own network strikes" they say!  So as not to break out into a commercial for them I'll just lead you to the link.  I can't say I've ever had a chance to drive any BreakingPoint gear (I'll definitely take one for a test drive if they want to send me something though) so please don't take this as an actual advocation.
[Write and Simulate Your Own Network Strikes]

Gartner has a fun little graphic up with regards to the hype cycle of emerging technologies.  While it's interesting to look at that's about all it's good for in my book.  Really, if an analyst at Gartner could predict the peak appropriately they wouldn't need to work at Gartner.  Then we get to the crux of the "inflated expectations with", hold your breath, e-book readers and cloud computing.  There are more little nuggets of thought-provoking humor (microblogging on the edge of the trough of disillusionment) scattered in the colorful roller-coaster-of-a-graphic so check it out.
[Twitter Backlash Foretold]

UC Berkeley today disclosed they they may have disclosed roughly 493 SSN and other PII to a hacker.  That gets me thinking -- are the bigger schools just better at realizing they've been breached, or are they just the bigger target?
[Hackers Strike UC Berkeley]

So I had a great laugh this morning with this one and then also learned an interesting tidbit of information from a coworker.  At the surface of the story most news outlets are running the piece that Judge Leonard Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a permanent injunction against Microsoft that prohibits them from selling or importing Word that, basically, has any XML functionality.  That's what the mainstream press is running.  What I learned was that Smith County in Texas has it's own story of shady shenanigans and now I have some "Murder She Wrote" style literature for my enjoyment this weekend.  That's because in 1985 a book called "Smith County Justice" was published by a man named David Ellsworth.  Let's just say that you can't get the book in print anymore because local authorities used pressure of sorts to have the book pulled from publishing and all unsold copies burned.  Dum dum dum.  Anyway, I'll leave it to you to solve the mystery of Smith County.  Check out the links to get started!
[Judge Orders Microsoft to Stop Selling Word]
[Wikileaks - Smith County Justice]

Branden Williams informed me (well not directly) that MasterCard has finally gotten around to clarifying their previously ambiguous L1 and L2 merchant fine machine.  MasterCard yells "All hail QSA!" while Heartland banters "QSA - thou are heretic!".  Well, at this point I might as well post both links with this banter.  Is it a full moon out tonight?
[MasterCard Clarifies Their Position]
[Heartland CEO on Data Breach]

Phish bombs away!  Want to pwn your own Safari 4 "Top Sites"?  Be prepared to get your electronica groove on with this screencast SecureThoughts has provided us with today.  On to the show ladies and gents!
[Hijacking Safari 4 Top Sites with Phish Bombs]

Diebold is up to their same old same old, quietly patching "secure" vote counting software.  If you like this story and are interested in more information on voting fraud and corruption I'd highly recommend watching "Uncounted - The New Math of American Elections".  A coworker of mine helped produce and contribute research to the documentary and it's presented very well.  After talking to him I learned that they actually had to chop out a few key segments because initial reactions were too strong from the public.  Anyway, get your vote fraud news on.

[Diebold Quietly Patches Security Flaw in Vote Counting Software]
[Uncounted - The New Math of American Elections]

The mobile-phone attacks are coming, the mobile-phone attacks are coming!  I didn't see this one on Gartner's hype cycle so it must be true.  C'mon anyone who hasn't seen this one coming since the release of the iPhone is living in a fantasy world where BeOS is making a comeback.  Ahh, the good old days of BeOS.  All in all it's a good discussion to be having now.  We're hitting the critical mass where it's becoming glaringly obvious why and where the monarchy approval system (i.e. Apple's App Store) fails, but at the same time why it's positioned well for sanity checks and balances of a completely open system that could easily be circumvented for the general populous.
[Android Security Chief: Mobile-Phone Attacks Coming]

From the you-may-not-have-known bin we pull out some Nmap goodness I learned from the fabulous VOIPSA blog.  Nmap has a rather extensive set of fingerprints for VoIP devices!  OK, so you already knew that fingerprinting was a big part of why you use Nmap in the first place, right?  Well it struck me, while I was perusing the list, that I could (will) help by adding a few that I have access to that aren't in that list already.  Truth be told is that I felt like I haven't contributed anything back to the Nmap project recently and I really should.
[Something Old, Something New: Nmap's VoIP Fingerprinting]

Wow there are lots of great links today!  Unfortunately I'm already >20 minutes past due because of a busy evening.  We'll leave you with a list in the grab bag tonight.  If you find the daily digs useful, humorous or flat out lame feel free to let us know in the comments!  Take care ya'll...

-windexh8er

[Dear Palm: Please Stop Tracking Me and My Pre Use]
[Typhoon Knocks Out Asia Telecom Cable]
[2Wire Routers Unauthorized Access]
[Energy Companies Say NERC Standards Inadequate]
[Technical Debt]