Chrome, Firefox, Office and Co .: How safe is popular Windows software? – N-tv.de NEWS

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 Monday, November 23, 2015

 
 
 

 
 Are popular Windows programs right as a gateway for hackers? AV-Test has examined how well current software protects against attackers. Problematic are especially open source applications.
 

 
 

The Magdeburg Institute AV-Test has examined known and widely used Windows programs for vulnerabilities. Software such as the Acrobat Reader or Java are called in many statistics as a gateway for pests, the recently published Report of the BSI covers an entire kingdom of vulnerabilities used by millions of people on standard programs. The independent institute focused on the question: How well does Windows programs protect against attackers

Recently, AV-Test has already examined current antivirus software on their self-protection and discovered many weaknesses?. The testers wanted to know if the programmers of anti-virus packages use the freely available protections DEP and ALSR. The sobering result: The top score only got 3 of 21 applications. Now the Institute has verified in an additional test which utilize Windows applications the self-defense techniques. In test 18 popular applications were scrutinized. Among the test candidates are popular PDF reader, the major browsers, office software, graphics programs, Pack software and newer versions of Java.

Firefox and Chrome are safe

The first good Notice: The above-mentioned alleged problem child Adobe Reader and Java cut in the test with the use of DEP and ASLR well off – both use the protection techniques and are therefore well protected against attackers. Even with the most popular browsers, the result is good, although DEP and ASLR are not in widespread use. In Mozilla’s Firefox, the utilization rate fell from 100 per cent in Version 40.0.3 to below 90 percent in version 41.0.2. The Opera browser uses the techniques only in the 32-bit version perfect, but not in the 64-bit variant. Chrome is safe with 99.7 percent in the 32- and 99.6 percent in the 64-bit version also. . Internet Explorer is missing from the list, because the browser is integrated too deep into the system and the tester so the files used could not narrow down exactly

In the Office programs a zwiegespaltenes picture shows: Microsoft Office 2016 sets almost entirely to the protection, WPS Office, after all, more than 80 percent. LibreOffice comes in the 32-bit version only 56 percent, the 64-bit version is better protected with 73.9 percent. Taillight with zero percent is Free Office, which does not use any protection. Even the much-used open-source programs 7Zip and Gimp waive DEP and ASLR, the graphic programs ACDSee Ultimate and IrfanView using techniques not continuous.

As with the previous test of antivirus software checked AV-Test again this time in addition, if all files of the specimens are provided with signatures and valid certificates. Those missing such information it is hard for security software to detect whether it is the original or a manipulated and possibly malicious file in a file.

Open source software is vulnerable

In the PDF readers only the Foxit Reader reached the top grade. In Adobe Reader, only the 64-bit files were fully signed, in PDF Exchange only the 32-bit files. Among the tested browsers, Chrome and Opera fared best, both had no unsigned files. In Firefox, there were isolated cases which. The office applications Free Office and OpenOffice largely forgo signatures in WPS Office and LibreOffice testers discovered five to ten percent unsigned files in Microsoft Office 2016, only a file with an invalid certificate.

The often recommended open source graphics program Gimp uses in all versions about 50 to 70 percent of unsigned files. In all other checked graphics programs like IrfanView or ACDSee Paint.Net were found unsigned files, albeit to a lesser extent. With ACDSee two files are working in the 64-bit version with expired certificates. The packers 7Zip and WinRar also have hardly signed files, Java is only in version 7 completely clean, in Version 6 and 8 were found sporadically unsigned 32- and 64-bit files.

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The result of extensive testing is better than expected, according to AV-Test. Most Windows applications set the protections a good, even if some manufacturers may implement the techniques better and sign their files. Problems sees the Institute, especially in open-source software such as 7Zip, Gimp or OpenOffice, for which there is a lack of signatures and use of DEP and ASLR flächendeckendem. The reason suggested AV-Test in the open group of programmers and thus often changed files. However, the project should, as AV-Test, to seek a better implementation in order not to damage the reputation of the software.

  Source: n-tv.de
 

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