Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Blogs
    • Security Watch

    Akamai warns on Download Manager

    By
    Matthew Hines
    -
    June 13, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Web content and applications delivery specialist Akamai has warned its users of a potentially serious security vulnerability in its popular Download Manager application that could lead to online drive-by attacks.

      Akamai has issued a patch for the problem and reported that the vulnerability requires a user to visit a malicious URL to be infected. Once tricked into visiting such a site, the user’s browser could automatically download and execute arbitrary code on their systems.

      This company said that the vulnerability exists only in the Download Manager client software and does not affect its Web application and advertising delivery services in any way. The affected versions of the product included releases up to the 2.2.3.6 iteration of Download Manager, and the problem is patched in a new version, 2.2.3.7.

      Akamai Download Manager is a client software application that aims to allow users to download content more quickly and reliably. Made available as an ActiveX component or Java applet, the program promises to provide users the ability to pause downloads, resume downloading at a later time, and automatically recover from dropped connections or system crashes.

      A copy of the security bulletin published by Akamai can be found here, and the company said that visiting this page or any other Download Manager-enabled page will automatically prompt a user to install the latest version of the software.

      The company said further that it has successfully coordinated with each of its enterprise customers to ensure that they are all distributing the patched version.

      Security researchers have become increasingly wary of such automated download technologies as attackers have increasingly moved to tap into the tools’ capabilities to secretly inject their attacks via Web sites, in particular via subverted legitimate URLs.

      For the last several years researchers have devoted significant time at conferences such as the annual Black Hat hacker confab to the dangers related to the functionality of similar Web 2.0 technologies such as AJAX which are meant to increase the interactivity of Web sites and allow URLs to dynamically download content to update themselves, or respond to end user activities.

      Experts with the FortiGuard Global Security Research Team claim to have been the first to identify the vulnerability. The researchers specifically warned of the potential for the issue to allow a remote file to be transferred to an arbitrary location on an end user’s system through Akamai’s ActiveX control.

      “Exploits [like this] have the potential to be especially harmful, as when executed correctly, a malicious file could be downloaded in a ‘drive-by’ nature without user interaction,” Derek Manky, security researcher for Fortinet, said in an e-mail.

      Matt Hines has been following the IT industry for over a decade as a reporter and blogger, and has been specifically focused on the security space since 2003, including a previous stint writing for eWeek and contributing to the Security Watch blog. Hines is currently employed as marketing communications manager at Core Security Technologies, a Boston-based maker of security testing software. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Core Security, and neither the company, nor its products and services will be actively discussed in the blog. Please send news, research or tips to SecurityWatchBlog@gmail.com.

      Matthew Hines
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×