COMMAND
InterScan
SYSTEMS AFFECTED
Trend Micro's InterScan 3.0
PROBLEM
Karl C. Lherisson found following about Trend Micro's InterScan
product with ability to scan email for viruses and to prevent
SPAM from being relayed of our SMTP server. He decided to look
into the FTP proxy feature that is included but it was found a
possible security hole in the product. When using InterScan
version 3.0 as a stand alone proxy there is no way to limit who
can have access to the FTP proxy. Unlike the SMTP portion, where
one can specify valid source IP addresses that are able to relay
mail, anyone on the Internet who knows the IP address of the
InterScan FTP proxy can use it to log onto another network and
basically hide their identity.
So if you were a "hacker" and you wanted to launch an FTP attack
on lets say COMPANY A, and you know there is a Trend Micro
InterScan FTP Proxy server at COMPANY B, well you would login to
COMPANY B proxy server and then connect to COMPANY A. What makes
matters worse is that InterScan 3.0 does not keep a log of FTP
connections (basically making the hacker anonymous), and the
software will perform the job of checking the hacker's files for
viruses. Additionally, if COMPANY A found out that they were
infiltrated in some way, it would appear that it originated from
COMPANY B.
SOLUTION
Fortunately, the FTP Proxy Server can be disabled but this kills
1/3 of the product functionality.