Yet another vendor cares so little about their customer base that they have decided not to fix a critical system bug. Thanks to Symantec for finding the bug and reporting it. As a Treo user, I'm far from thrilled. I plan to get rid of my Treo. Way to go Palm. Here's the full story as reported on Security Focus: -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Symantec Vulnerability Research http://www.symantec.com/ Yet another vendor cares so little about their customer base that they have decided not to fix a critical system bug.Thanks to Symantec for finding the bug and reporting it. As a Treo user, I’m far from thrilled. I plan to get rid of my Treo. Way to go Palm.Here’s the full story as reported on Security Focus:—–BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE—– Hash: SHA1 Symantec Vulnerability Research http://www.symantec.com/research Security Advisory Advisory ID: SYMSA-2007-002Advisory Title: Palm OS Treo Find Feature System Password Bypass Authors: J.R. Wikes, Matt Cooley, & Scott King Release Date: 14-02-2007 Application: N/A Platforms: Palm OS Treo smart phones – Tested on Verizon, Sprint, & Cingular Treo 650 (Treo650-1.03a-VZW & Treo650-1.12-SPCS), Cingular Treo 680, and Sprint/Verizon Treo 700p phones Severity: Locally exploitable Vendor status: Verified by vendor. No patch forthcoming. CVE Number: CVE-2007-0859 Reference: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/22468Overview:Palm OS Treo smartphones are equipped with a system password lock to secure contents of handheld data from unauthorized access.When this lock is engaged, Treo’s built-in Find feature is still accessible and can be used to perform searches on text in Treo applications and databases (e.g. SMS Messages, Memos, Calendar, Tasks, etc). Search results are accessible, and depending on their size, may be truncated. An attacker may use this vulnerability to retrieve information from a locked device.The built-in Find feature can also be used to access an Edit window and paste previously cut or copied data into the search field of a locked device. An attacker may use this vulnerability to view data that was cut or copied from Treo applications prior to the device being locked.Details:The Find feature can be accessed when the handheld is locked by issuing keyboard shortcut keys on the Emergency Call screen and the Call In Progress screen that is displayed when an incoming call is accepted. More details for each of these methods is listed below.1. Emergency Call Screen– From the System Lockout screen, select ‘Make Emergency Call’.Press the keyboard shortcut keys for Find (Option Key + Find Key).This will open the Find window on the bottom half of the screen.Enter the desired text to search and click on ‘OK’. (Searching on a single space usually returns data)To access the Edit window, press the Menu key while the Find window is open. Select Paste from the Edit window to paste previously cut or copied data in the Find window.2. Call In Progress screenAccept an incoming call.Press the keyboard shortcut keys for Find (Option Key + Find Key) during the call. This will open the Find window on the bottom half of the screen. Enter the desired text to search and click on ‘OK’. (Searching on a single space usually returns data)To access the Edit window, press the Menu key while the Find window is open. Select Paste from the Edit window to paste previously cut or copied data in the Find window.Note: The Find window will stay open after a call has been disconnected. However, users will be returned to the Lockout screen when the find results are closed.Vendor Response:14-08-2006: Initial Vendor Notification.06-09-2006: Vendor acknowledges receipt of vulnerability description.06-09-2006: Vendor confirms vulnerability.19-01-2007: Vendor decides not to fix vulnerability.14-02-2007: Advisory released.Recommendation:In the interim of a patch being released to address this vulnerability, users should be notified of this condition so that they may take appropriate actions including encrypting sensitive handheld databases.Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Information:The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) project has assigned the following names to these issues. These are candidates for inclusion in the CVE list (http://cve.mitre.org), which standardizes names for security problems.CVE-2007-0859– ——-Symantec Vulnerability Research Advisory Information——-For questions about this advisory, or to report an error:research@symantec.comFor details on Symantec’s Vulnerability Reporting Policy:http://www.symantec.com/research/Symantec-Responsible-Disclosure.pdfSymantec Vulnerability Research Advisory Archive:http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/research/archive.jspSymantec Vulnerability Research GPG Key:http://www.symantec.com/research/Symantec_Vulnerability_Research_GPG.asc– ————-Symantec Product Advisory Information————-To Report a Security Vulnerability in a Symantec Product:secure@symantec.comFor general information on Symantec’s Product Vulnerability reporting and response:http://www.symantec.com/security/Symantec Product Advisory Archive:http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/security/SymantecAdvisories.htmlSymantec Product Advisory PGP Key:http://www.symantec.com/security/Symantec-Vulnerability-Management-Key.asc– —————————————————————Copyright (c) 2007 by Symantec Corp.Permission to redistribute this alert electronically is granted as long as it is not edited in any way unless authorized by Symantec Vulnerability Research. Reprinting the whole or part of this alert in any medium other than electronically requires permission from research@symantec.com.DisclaimerThe information in the advisory is believed to be accurate at the time of publishing based on currently available information. Use of the information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are no warranties with regard to this information.Neither the author nor the publisher accepts any liability for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage arising from use of, or reliance on, this information.Symantec, Symantec products, and Symantec Consulting Services are registered trademarks of Symantec Corp. and/or affiliated companies in the United States and other countries. All other registered and unregistered trademarks represented in this document are the sole property of their respective companies/owners.—–BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE—–Version: GnuPG v1.4.0 (Cygwin)iD8DBQFF0fdBuk7IIFI45IARAo2OAKCOjb/3hM3y1LqakzIRSjUZrINRQwCffwf/LiKdpxGBKZXOqMpIzxrYw9M==2CJL—–END PGP SIGNATURE—– Related content analysis The 5 types of cyber attack you're most likely to face Don't be distracted by the exploit of the week. Invest your time and money defending against the threats you're apt to confront By Roger Grimes Aug 21, 2017 7 mins Phishing Malware Social Engineering analysis 'Jump boxes' and SAWs improve security, if you set them up right Organizations consistently and reliably using one or both of these approaches have far less risk than those that do not. By Roger Grimes Jul 26, 2017 13 mins Authentication Access Control Data and Information Security analysis Attention, 'red team' hackers: Stay on target You hire elite hackers to break your defenses and expose vulnerabilities -- not to be distracted by the pursuit of obscure flaws By Roger Grimes Dec 08, 2015 4 mins Hacking Data and Information Security Network Security analysis 4 do's and don'ts for safer holiday computing It's the season for scams, hacks, and malware attacks. But contrary to what you've heard, you can avoid being a victim pretty easily By Roger Grimes Dec 01, 2015 4 mins Phishing Malware Patch Management Software Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe