paularoid
03-06-2010, 05:45 PM
This come straight from Snopes.com so you know it is indeed valid and true. I'm even -more- glad that I refuse to use MSIE unless -forced- to.
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/f1key.asp
F1 Key Virus
*Claim:* A form of malware can be activated by prompting Internet
Explorer users to press the F1 key.
*TRUE*
*Example:* /[Collected via e-mail, March 2010]/
Microsoft has issued a warning against a new virus that they do not yet
have a patch for ... it is attached to Internet Explorer and the user
will get a window prompt requesting them to press the F1 key. Doing this
then causes malicious code to be run on your computer.
So ... DO NOT press F1 if you are prompted - no matter how many times.
Evidently, it will pester you repeatedly. Either X out of the window or
Explorer all together.
Thanks for your diligence in keeping these viruses to a minimum.
*Origins:* As noted in a 1 March 2010 Microsoft Security Advisory
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/981169.mspx>, a
vulnerability in VBScript has opened the door to a potential exploit
tied to luring users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser
software into pressing the F1 key:
Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in
VBScript that is exposed on supported versions of Microsoft Windows
2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 through the use of Internet
Explorer. Our investigation has shown that the vulnerability cannot be
exploited on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, or
Windows Server 2008. The main impact of the vulnerability is remote code
execution. We are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported
vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time.
The vulnerability exists in the way that VBScript interacts with Windows
Help files when using Internet Explorer. If a malicious Web site
displayed a specially crafted dialog box and a user pressed the F1 key,
arbitrary code could be executed in the security context of the
currently logged-on user. On systems running Windows Server 2003,
Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is enabled by default,
which helps to mitigate against this issue.
A 2 March 2010 advisory
<http://www.us-cert.gov/current/#microsoft_releases_security_advisory_to2>
from US-CERT (the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team)
similarly notes that:
Microsoft has released a security advisory to address a vulnerability in
VBScript. The advisory indicates that this vulnerability exists in the
way that VBScript interacts with Windows Help files when using Internet
Explorer. By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document
(web page, HTML email, or email attachment) with Internet Explorer and
to press the F1 key, an attacker could run arbitrary code with the
privileges of the user running the application.
US-CERT encourages users and administrators to do the following to help
mitigate the risks:
* Review Microsoft Security Advisory 981169
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/981169.mspx>.
* Review the Microsoft Security Research & Defense blog entry
<http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2010/03/01/help-keypress-vulnerability-in-vbscript-enabling-remote-code-execution.aspx>
regarding this issue.
* Review US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#612021
<http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/612021>.
* Refrain from pressing the F1 key when prompted by a website.
* Restrict access to the Windows Help System.
*Last updated:* 4 March 2010
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/f1key.asp
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/f1key.asp
F1 Key Virus
*Claim:* A form of malware can be activated by prompting Internet
Explorer users to press the F1 key.
*TRUE*
*Example:* /[Collected via e-mail, March 2010]/
Microsoft has issued a warning against a new virus that they do not yet
have a patch for ... it is attached to Internet Explorer and the user
will get a window prompt requesting them to press the F1 key. Doing this
then causes malicious code to be run on your computer.
So ... DO NOT press F1 if you are prompted - no matter how many times.
Evidently, it will pester you repeatedly. Either X out of the window or
Explorer all together.
Thanks for your diligence in keeping these viruses to a minimum.
*Origins:* As noted in a 1 March 2010 Microsoft Security Advisory
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/981169.mspx>, a
vulnerability in VBScript has opened the door to a potential exploit
tied to luring users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser
software into pressing the F1 key:
Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in
VBScript that is exposed on supported versions of Microsoft Windows
2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 through the use of Internet
Explorer. Our investigation has shown that the vulnerability cannot be
exploited on Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, or
Windows Server 2008. The main impact of the vulnerability is remote code
execution. We are not aware of attacks that try to use the reported
vulnerabilities or of customer impact at this time.
The vulnerability exists in the way that VBScript interacts with Windows
Help files when using Internet Explorer. If a malicious Web site
displayed a specially crafted dialog box and a user pressed the F1 key,
arbitrary code could be executed in the security context of the
currently logged-on user. On systems running Windows Server 2003,
Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is enabled by default,
which helps to mitigate against this issue.
A 2 March 2010 advisory
<http://www.us-cert.gov/current/#microsoft_releases_security_advisory_to2>
from US-CERT (the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team)
similarly notes that:
Microsoft has released a security advisory to address a vulnerability in
VBScript. The advisory indicates that this vulnerability exists in the
way that VBScript interacts with Windows Help files when using Internet
Explorer. By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document
(web page, HTML email, or email attachment) with Internet Explorer and
to press the F1 key, an attacker could run arbitrary code with the
privileges of the user running the application.
US-CERT encourages users and administrators to do the following to help
mitigate the risks:
* Review Microsoft Security Advisory 981169
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/981169.mspx>.
* Review the Microsoft Security Research & Defense blog entry
<http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2010/03/01/help-keypress-vulnerability-in-vbscript-enabling-remote-code-execution.aspx>
regarding this issue.
* Review US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#612021
<http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/612021>.
* Refrain from pressing the F1 key when prompted by a website.
* Restrict access to the Windows Help System.
*Last updated:* 4 March 2010
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/f1key.asp