Skip to main content
VARINDIA
Breaking
Image Gallery

Collective Recommendations on handling Heartbleed Menace

2 min read0 views
Share:
Collective Recommendations on handling Heartbleed Menace

 

ESET has warned that Heartbleed bug causing widespread alarm on affecting more than feared and could affect billions of users like websites, internet users, and smartphone users.
Heartbleed Bug is used to extract private SSL Keys and it allows Malicious Individuals to extract information invisibly during an Encryption process. It affects the open-source encryption software OpenSSL, which is used on millions of web servers which has been undiscovered for more than two years.  

The ability to steal private keys raised the scope of Heartlbeed considerably. Having access to these private keys means hackers can return even after the Heartbleed exploit has been removed through the window. Hackers can only cease to have access to these keys once the server's security certificates are all updated. It means fixing the bug may not solve the problems Heartbleed has created.  Anyone possessing the private key can use it to host an impostor site that is virtually impossible for most end-users to detect.

Collective recommendations from ESET Researchers and White Hat Hackers:

Upgrade to OpenSSL servers to 1.0.1g or recompile -DOPENSSL_NO_HEARTBEATS
Update Server's security certificates

Embedded devices using OpenSSl should also upgrade to newer versions
Always check servers logs to have a check on Heartbleed exploits
Change passwords consequently of all the online services (Please note: This bug could steal passwords, credit card details and even encryption keys, without trace)
Change password and don't use “password” as your new password
Note that Vulnerabilities for consumers using "desktop" browsers are more on their visit of websites that may be running bogus server code
Download smartphone applications from authorized websites as some of the apps were vulnerable to Heartbleed bug
Last but the most important thing is that everyone should reissue and revoke private keys.