Google
Hacking and Confidential Files Protection
Google
hacking provides “easy and stylish” techniques of obtaining
sensitive information. This information can be used for
vulnerability-searching attack or another sinister purpose.
What
is Google hacking?
Using
powerful search engines, such as Google, anyone can look for all type
of information residing in an immense number of servers connected to
the web all over the globe. However, organizations usually disclose too
much information on their web servers without ever knowing. Search
engines’ powerful features allow hackers to find some sensitive
information stored in the far corners of web-connected servers and
perform a vulnerability-searching attack.
John
Leyden in his article “Hacking
Google for fun and profit” wrote: “Insecure websites are not
the only venues at risk from Google-hacking. Network hardware can be
hacked, cached printing pages can be perused and security cameras
snooped on thanks to evolutions in attack techniques that are dumbing
down network attacks”. Although
there are plenty of ways to abuse network vulnerabilities and mount
attack that allow access to the back end of ecommerce websites, Google
offers a simple and stylish technique almost everyone can employ:
“this dumbing down of cracking opens the way to numerous attacks.”
Looking
for credit card numbers on insecure servers or network passwords is the
most frequent operation; however, Google hacking can do more. “Using
screen grabs… routers with default passwords could be located and
turned off. The same approach allows the cache of insecure printers to
be browsed, enabling hackers to view or download potentially sensitive
documents. Insecure UPS systems, time lapse security cameras and even
PBX telephony systems can also be nobbled”. What’s more, police
reports can be searched for references to social security numbers. The
availability of private information all over the globe, contributes to
rising incidence of identity theft, which has been a major problem for
the last several years.
“Google
can be also used to conduct reconnaissance on vulnerable systems without
sending packets to a target. Attackers can map domains or get a list of
vulnerable servers using the search engine.” Google allows doing a
website mapping, directory listings search, obtaining the exact version
of a web server software, and even CGI scanning. And this is not an
illegal procedure – as long as you don’t attempt to use the
acquired information for a sinister purpose.
Once
sensitive information is found by using a search engine, it is not easy
to conceal it. Even if confidential pages are removed from a web
server, they are usually cached, or stored, in search engines’
computers, so they can still be accessed.
In
addition to searching for sensitive data, “Google-hacking has been
picked up as a technique by virus writers. Recent worms have taken
advantage of Google to automate the search for vulnerable machines.”
How
to be Google search-proof
Google
hacking technique “can be turned on its head by security pros to find
and fix potential security holes”. Google scanning is a front end for
an external server assessment and contributes to the
information-gathering phase of a vulnerability assessment. This
operation may be necessary to find out what information from the web
site has already been revealed by using a search engine.
The
easiest way to protect sensitive data from exposure is to keep this
information off the web. Confidential information and links to
protected files should not be ever placed on a web site, even on a
temporary basis. There’s always a chance search engines might find
and cache it. Consider more secure ways of sharing data, such as SSH/SCP
or encrypted email.
Directory
listing is an exploitable target for most attacks, so that it should be
disabled for all folders on a web server. Special attention should be
paid to the folders containing password protected files. Besides, the
folder that may be accessible to search engines should not contain
lists of URLs, links to administrative pages, protected files and
password databases.
The
web server applications should not generate error messages
automatically. If an application error occurs when a search engine’s
crawler visit the web site, it can be cached and stored in a search
engine. Hackers use this Google hacking technique to identify web sites
that are vulnerable because they had error messages or
remote access
login pages cached.
Removing
your site from Google’s index may of course prevent information
leakage. However, if this option is impossible, consider removing
specific pages that store (or did store) sensitive data and links to
confidential files from the Google directory.
The
most practical way to keep search engines from reaching specific
information on a web site is to set up a gatekeeper in a form of an
instruction page for the search engine’s crawler. Most search engines
look for a file called 'robots.txt', which specifies the areas of a web
site that can be indexed. File “robots.txt” should be properly
configured and updated on a regular basis, to prevent sensitive
information exposure.
Security
risks associated with Google hacking should be considered more
seriously
Google hacking is a serious problem for most
organizations as it provides for techniques of different type of
information exposure. Collecting data on web server software version,
firewall log files, password protected files location makes it easier
to gain unauthorized access to a remote web server. Besides, in many cases users inadvertently leave sensitive or
confidential files in folders that are web-accessible, so that
information gets quickly available to the public through the search
engines. To protect yourself against Google hacking, you need to be
constantly aware which information resources on your web server are
open to the search engines.
Find
Protected is an utility to force Password Security policy
Find
Protected allows to detect incidents, when one break Password Security
Policy.
-
Prevent
using password protection for not-sensitive documents
-
Prevent
information leakage, when one keep sensitive file in non-secure
location
-
Prevent
in-appropriate using of password protection (for example, password
protection of personal files)
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