Tightening security on a system.
1
vote
3answers
52 views
What can manufactures of hardware do to prevent attacks on the firmware?
Given the revelations since The Equation Group was discovered. As well as that it is possible to not guarantee removal of a rootkit even with a nuke from high orbit.
What properties of a harddrive ...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
Symantec Endpoint Protection vs System Hardening [closed]
My IT Team is of the opinion that since they have installed Symantec Endpoint Protection software on my work laptop, there is no need for additional system hardening. They claim that SEP completely ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
Basic nginx securing / restricted access [closed]
I run a private virtual server on Ubuntu 14.04 and I use Nginx as my http server and/or reverse proxy. I run multiple webapps on this server, most of them are fresh open source projects.
UPDATE :
...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Root server hacked via httpd - consequences and future prevention
Since before mid 2014, my root server was targeted by hackers and recently they gained limited access. I disabled all services once I realized the server has been compromised and started ...
3
votes
0answers
76 views
How to secure a compromised computer while getting proof against the attacker [migrated]
I have evidence (non-technical) that my company is spying on me, not on my company PC but my private PC at home.
These evidences won’t hold in court, so I am in need of technical proof. I suspect that ...
1
vote
0answers
60 views
Using Startup Repair to gain local admin [migrated]
I came across this video which shows using "Startup Repair" (which doesn't require credentials like "Repair My Computer" or "System Recovery") to gain local administrator privileges. To summarize:
...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
Hardening SSL/TLS on Azure Cloud Service for A+ on Qualys SSL Labs?
We're using this powershell script as our Azure Cloud Service (PaaS) startup script and we're at an A- on the Qualys SSL Labs test
Specifically we're losing points for the following reasons:
Forward ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
Using “Security Compliance Manager” to audit a Windows system
I found a few posts which suggest using Microsoft SCM (Security Compliance Manager) to audit the security of Microsoft software solutions:
Windows security policy analysis tool
How do I apply a ...
5
votes
2answers
917 views
How to securely encrypt data with a public-private key encryption scheme, but also allow decryption if the private key is lost?
This question is a followup question to Storing plaintext passwords for cameras - Security concerns?. In that question, I posed what I thought was a simple question, which actually turned out to ...
11
votes
5answers
2k views
Storing plaintext passwords for cameras - Security concerns?
This question has a follow-up question here: How to securely encrypt data with a public-private key encryption scheme, but also allow decryption if the private key is lost?
TL;DR:
Can I use ...
1
vote
2answers
110 views
Python security hardening
I’m working for a large organization which is using some Windows products that require python to work.
Python is used to execute built in utility scripts and the user never recognizes that python is ...
0
votes
1answer
90 views
Firewall Benchmark, Checklist, Guideline?
I'm doing some research on checklist, benchmark, hardening guidelines. And I couldn't find specific documents for security checklist for firewall.
CIS had this document, but it was only for Cisco ...
2
votes
1answer
107 views
Does malware which infects the BIOS/ Firmware always need 'root' access to do so?
There are very few hardend Operating Systems who restrict or totally disable Terminal 'root' access for the user.
(1) Would this feature prevent persistant BIOS rootkits from writing into BIOS or ...
3
votes
2answers
139 views
Read-Only Hard Drives
Has anyone come across a 2.5 SSD or HDD that has a physical read-only switch similar to this? Or an enclosure that can render a hard drive read only?
1
vote
2answers
70 views
Segregating Offline Server and Internet Connection in one pc
What I want to do:
Setup a PC with two routers. One router is directly connected to the internet, the other is connected to an offline workspace server. My client will be connected to both via a ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
Joomla Linux Permissions
I installed Joomla 3 to /var/www/html directory in Cent OS 6 server. Currently /var/www/html is owned by apache:apache.
What is the recommended permissions for Joomla installation on Linux in ...
2
votes
2answers
52 views
Question regarding browser windows when integrating with 3rd party payment software
I've been told that when integrating with a 3rd party payment gateway, the other website's window should not be opened in an iFrame or a separate window - that the current application window itself ...
2
votes
3answers
119 views
Is opening a new mysql connection for each query potentially unsafe?
I am doing some unit testing and noticed that if I click (or have multiple people clicking) the same filter very very fast (very precise I know;) eventually I get a "The connection is already open." ...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
Basic Website Protection (XSS,SQL-inject,hashing)
I have a very simple app that does allow unauthenticated users to leave comments (maybe later I will incorporate a capatcha). The app then stores the comments in a mysql db. I do my best to filter out ...
0
votes
3answers
114 views
Testing Malware in one Virtual Machine which is running side by side along with other Virtual Machines
I want to harden the security of my host system and side by side running virtual machines while testing some files for malware in one of the virtual machines.
Here comes a list of questions that I ...
2
votes
2answers
161 views
What's there to harden for a home Unix-box behind Comcast cable modem?
I'm learning that much of the security advice I come across under the "hardening" heading simply does not apply to a single-user home desktop box sitting in a private wireless IPv4 LAN behind a ...
1
vote
1answer
282 views
How to harden a “dedicated” Firefox?
I want to set up an instance of Firefox to be used to access a strictly limited "white list" of websites (my bank's, my credit cards', etc.).
How can I harden such an instance of Firefox to reduce ...
2
votes
3answers
136 views
How to setup a dedicated home machine (Linux) for secure transactions?
I would like to set up a computer at home (preferably running Debian, or some other flavor of Linux) to be used only for secure financial transactions.
The idea is that, by strictly limiting what is ...
4
votes
2answers
223 views
Heap canaries, to protect function pointers in heap objects
I'm wondering if anyone has previously proposed, evaluated, or deployed the following measure to harden systems against heap-based buffer overruns: basically, stack canaries, but applied before ...
1
vote
2answers
149 views
Web-based intrusion detection integrating visibility into web app and database
Consider the problem of hardening an existing, database-backed web application, to detect attacks and stop them where possible.
It seems like one plausible approach might be to build an intrusion ...
7
votes
3answers
230 views
What is a good source for hardened base configurations
I attended B-Sides in Orlando FL where one of the speakers had mentioned a site which contains hardened configs for popular services such as apache and postfix. The author of these configs is ...
0
votes
1answer
70 views
libraries alternative to gcc stack-protector / fortity source feature on linux
is there external library/approach/whatever to add
canary protection (stack-protector equivalent)
extra buffer boundary check (fortity source equivalent)
on a C software without using glibc / ...
6
votes
2answers
291 views
How often is ASLR randomness refreshed, in Linux?
Most Linux distributions now use ASLR for many programs, to randomize the layout of memory.
How often is the randomness used for this changed? If I re-run the same program multiple times, will it ...
1
vote
1answer
218 views
Defend against Blind ROP
At IEEE Security & Privacy, the blind return-oriented programming attack (blind ROP) was just introduced. In some sense, this is just another variation on ROP attacks -- but the blind ROP attack ...
4
votes
1answer
248 views
Does Linux kernel use DEP for kernel memory?
Does the Linux kernel use DEP internally for its kernel memory? In other words, does the Linux kernel take care to ensure that, when the kernel is executing (in kernel mode), every executable ...
3
votes
3answers
317 views
System Hardening: Outsource to Security Expert or have Sys Admin do it? [closed]
Can any of you security experts help me make a decision on how to deal with staffing for an initial hardening for an Apache server running MySQL and PHP?
We are working on a new site have to do ...
0
votes
2answers
98 views
Anonymizing data for applications
I try to design a system which reads events comming from devices, stores them and exposes API to various applications. Originally I wanted to introduce a module Id translator, so I would store only ...
3
votes
2answers
185 views
Mainframe security [closed]
I am new to mainframe security testing practice. So far I have read a few articles on that even security of mainframe can be compromised.
I would like to know if there are any such checklists that ...
0
votes
2answers
151 views
Debian missing security features?
Debian (stable) is a well respected server Linux distro. I was surprised to see that in their hardening walkthrough (https://wiki.debian.org/HardeningWalkthrough) they do not support position ...
1
vote
0answers
153 views
Disable HNAP on D-Link router
I'm concerned that Home Network Administration Protocol (HNAP) is a serious vulnerability that exposes consumer network routers to remote management by malicious entities such as government ...
1
vote
2answers
97 views
How to avoid log4j output external modification
I had a request to find a solution for making a log file secure from editing from the user (not root user) running the JBoss instance of an application (Linux environment)
First idea I had is to use ...
1
vote
1answer
557 views
Virtual Box security [duplicate]
I am using virtual box to run a secure machine. I am not fully confident in the hosts security. My assumptions are that of course the host can read the VM when the VM is running and that if the ...
1
vote
1answer
264 views
Bounds checking using Intel's MPX
Intel has recently added new instructions to their instruction set to support bounds checking. Intel calls them the Memory Protection Extensions (MPX), and they are described in Chapter 9 of this ...
-6
votes
1answer
102 views
Strategy for Web Application [closed]
I need to develop an application security strategy for a web application product. Do you have any recommendations as far as procedures and policies are concerned? Any inputs / guidelines or relevant ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
DLL preloading attack - are IAT libraries affected too?
I'm about to distribute a dll library (there's also a linux version) to my users but I'm afraid of dll preloading attacks (i.e. someone substituting its malicious dll to get called by mine and gain ...
9
votes
3answers
351 views
Finding out what headers are visible
I would like to find an easy way to find out what headers are visible on my websites. For example PHP version, server etc.
I've looked around and can't seem to find a good explanation on the subject ...
3
votes
1answer
217 views
How Secure Rooted or Jailbroken Devices are?
I am just wondering, but how can I harden the security of jailbroken or rooted devices? I understand that SD Card can be still accessible, but how could potential adversaries compromise for example ...
1
vote
0answers
125 views
Securing MS Exchange [closed]
I have read quite a bit on the subject of securing MS Exchange - most notably the Client Access role. With the retirement of Microsoft's Threat Management Gateway many people seem to be looking for an ...
1
vote
1answer
119 views
Hardening Services, Ports on OSX
People boast about OSX Security, yet I find it very hard to find a comprehensive manual in regards to any equivalent Services and the ports they use. I am aware of lanchd and launchctl and Lingon is ...
1
vote
2answers
153 views
How secure is a Windows PC that is routed through a Linux PC?
I have a Dual PC setup. Two PC's are networked together via crossover cable. The Windows PC is running Windows 7 SP1 64-bit and the Linux PC is running Slackware 14 64-bit with iptables.
My firewall ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
TCP syn attack prevention
I am new to implementing information security. However i am trying to harden a windows server.I am using regedit to create parameters like SynAttackProtect,TcpMaxHalfOpen and TcpMaxHalfOpenRetried and ...
4
votes
1answer
173 views
How safe are CD's for Air Gapped computers?
It is often suggested, for air-gapped PC's, to use CD/DVD's as a transfer medium between machines instead of USB sticks or portable hard-drives as it is difficult to write data to a CD/DVD without the ...
5
votes
1answer
204 views
What can be done to bridge the Air Gap, except autorun?
What can be done to bridge the Air Gap, except autorun?
Is there any hardware butterflies that can attack physically isolated Unix/Linux machine in common usb drives, like VSC (Vendor Specific ...
10
votes
1answer
787 views
Why are some DLLs not randomized? What makes it hard to deploy full ASLR for all DLLs?
One of the challenges with deploying ASLR for everything is that, at least on Windows, some DLLs (libraries) are not compiled in a way that's compatible with ASLR. (They're not compiled as ...
16
votes
3answers
2k views
Why doesn't Linux randomize the address of the executable code segment?
I've recently been learning about how ASLR (address space randomization) works on Linux. At least on Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, there are two kinds of executable programs:
Position ...
