Gibson releases the tool to prove Windows XP vulnerability

August 15, 2001

Steve Gibson, owner of GRC.com, yesterday posted on his Web site a free utility called SocketToMe. The tool, made in co-operation with Collake Software, allows Windows users to determine whether their system has an advanced networking technology called "raw sockets." According to Gibson, the technology allows malicious hackers to more easily "spoof" their identity when using denial of service (DoS) attacks. That would make blocking DoS attacks more difficult.

Windows XP is scheduled for release in October, but Microsoft recently announced that the operating system may ship next month on new computers. The software is currently in final beta testing by thousands of computer enthusiasts.

Recently Gibson has sent a message to Microsoft asking to drop the support for "raw sockets". In this e-mail, Gibson says that "it is a tiny change to make" and "its not too late" to remove the technology.

However the company and several security experts say that the technology will have no impact on DoS attacks.

Gibson's SocketToMe utility is available at:
http://grc.com/dos/sockettome.htm