I have received dozens of spams from ContactThem Network affiliates who follow this simple template:

Hi,

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Modern DSL modems by default allows you to establish a DSL link through them to provide internet connectivity. The actual connection is handled by software running on your computer. The downside is that the client side software consumes your precious CPU cycles. Also the internet connectivity of your internal network is now dependent on a particular computer being up all the time. The good news is that most (A)DSL modems can be configured to do much more to make your life easier and solve all the above problems. Modern DSL modems are like a mini-computer. They can act as a router, a gateway with NAT support, Firewall, DHCP server and also as a DSL modem. Once you connect a properly configured ADSL modem to your hub or switch, all your computers will be automatically and transparently connected to the internet with firewall protection.

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I am assuming that you have downloaded and installed Apache 2.x on your windows machine. Use the latest version 2.2, if you do not have plans to run Subversion on it. Otherwise choose Apache 2.0.x. Install it with the defaults. You may want to however changes the drive on which it is installed. Anyway so you have it running. Then you went to php.net and have downloaded and extracted the zip file to say c:\ or d:\. I am assuming you have then changed the name of php.ini-recommended to php.ini. So far all the steps are straight forward and their install guide is good enough. Now you are feeling happy about it and want to integrate PHP with Apache, right? That's when the fun begins.

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Update: You may also want to look at: MySpace Hack: How To View Any Users Private Videos.

Recently Samy [samy at namb dot la] released a worm ["Samy worm" or "JS.Spacehero worm"] in MySpace, popular social networking platform like Friendster, which caused him to be added as hero to millions of MySpace users ("but most of all, samy is my hero.") as well as add him as their friend, all without their explicit permission.

After flooding the Network, MySpace stepped in and fixed the hole. Samy is still "hero" to millions of MySpace users in their profile.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the security issues exposed by this worm. It is definitely not limited to MySpace alone and the worm propagated not due to MySpace's fault but fault of browser like Internet Explorer. And the flaw is waiting to be exploited in several other web applications of similar nature like Ryze or LinkedIn etc.. In the remainder of this article I will summarize the modus-operandi of his script and suggest on ways to protect your web application against such attacks.
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