Phishing an Apple with IDN-Domains · 1 March 05

I just couldn’t resist to demonstrate the possibilities with IDN-Domains. Phishing made easy. On the one hand the new chars that become possible with IDN-Domains should make the Web break out of the boundaries of the ancient ASCII times… on the other hand it opens a complete new door to Phishing attacks.

See my example : http://www.apple.com

The site is also a hint to apple to integrate some intelligent solution to protect the Safari user without destroying the hole new market of IDN-Domains (like FireFox 1.01 does!). My idea would be a blacklist of chars that look very similar to the known ASCII Symbols… these Symbols should be marked in a different color… or brought to attention of the user in some other way (Saft Lite Style).

Also we could trust sites that came up by direct userinput.
Because then we know that somebody intended to see this IDN-Domain.

Update!

Apple fixed the problem in the latest Security update! So make sure to install it (via Software update)! Read about it here ... well I’ll put this one in a pictureframe on my wall!

How does this work


(A)

  • the malicious Phisher makes a fake website looking the same as the original availble.
  • the Phisher sends you the link by mail or links it into a website.
(B)
  • the user clicks on the link and opens a fake website that contains password fields.
  • the user trusts the website and fills them out.
(C)
  • the stolen passwords get submited to the fake server…
  • the Phisher is happy.

How to fix this …

  • Install Saft Lite which is free and fixes the problem on Safari by showing an alertbox with the PunyCode ( but only once while entering such a site).
  • Update FireFox to version 1.01 which disables IDN-Domain-features by always showing the PunyCode (this can’t be the solution! There are people out there that have paid money to use IDN’s without any bad intention… example: German Umlaute)

Further links to the topic

If you still don’t grasp what this article is talking about read this

Discussion about this on other sites…

Announcement

Once Apple’s Safari-Team fixes the issus with an intelligent solution I will be transfering the Domainname to them.

* * *

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