UAC and IE Protected Mode?

Posted: 11-17-2006, 07:14 PM
I'm curious to know whether there is a diffence in IE security vulnerability
between running Vista with UAC enabled (hence IE is in protected mode,
versus, running Vista with UAC disabled, with the user NOT in the local
admins group.

Thanks


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Responses to "UAC and IE Protected Mode?"

Jimmy Brush
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Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-18-2006, 12:33 AM
Hello,

Yes, there is a difference. When UAC is enabled, IE runs in protected mode.
This mode is much, much more restrictive than the mode IE runs in when
running under a standard user account.

When IE is running in protected mode, it cannot save/modify any files on
your computer (other than temporary internet files), save/modify any
registry keys (except for certain ones it needs to work), and it cannot talk
to any other programs on your computer (except for one that is used to ask
you for permission).

In protected mode, when IE wants out of this "protection box", it has to go
through the broker program, which asks you for permission before it
proceeds. In effect, YOU have to know about and approve IE to allow it to
touch any file, registry key, program, etc. on your computer.

In this scenario, if your IE is taken control of by some rogue program, that
rogue program will be unable to damage anything except a few IE settings,
because it will be unable to modify your files/settings/programs (unless it
asks you for permission and you give it the permission).

When protected mode disabled, IE gets the full power of your user account.
So in the same situation with protected mode off, a rogue IE will have as
much access to your computer that you do. If you are running as a standard
user, then it can access all of your documents and settings that affect your
user account. If you are an admin, then the rogue IE can do anything it
wants.


--
- JB

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/

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Milhouse Van Houten
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Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 01:26 AM
Which all brings up an interesting point: is there any way to untie the two?
Now that the beta is over, I don't want to endure UAC any longer, but I was
shocked to find that IE's Protected Mode goes along with it, something I
never expected and which I think is very unfortunate, since many people are
going to disable UAC yet would never think of disabling Protected Mode.

Now, this is where someone comes along and says that it's simple to make
happen with a policy change or similar.

"Jimmy Brush" <JimmyBrush@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2C9C28F8-6138-468E-B858-1C4BAAD144A4@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> Yes, there is a difference. When UAC is enabled, IE runs in protected
> mode. This mode is much, much more restrictive than the mode IE runs in
> when running under a standard user account.
>
> When IE is running in protected mode, it cannot save/modify any files on
> your computer (other than temporary internet files), save/modify any
> registry keys (except for certain ones it needs to work), and it cannot
> talk to any other programs on your computer (except for one that is used
> to ask you for permission).
>
> In protected mode, when IE wants out of this "protection box", it has to
> go through the broker program, which asks you for permission before it
> proceeds. In effect, YOU have to know about and approve IE to allow it to
> touch any file, registry key, program, etc. on your computer.
>
> In this scenario, if your IE is taken control of by some rogue program,
> that rogue program will be unable to damage anything except a few IE
> settings, because it will be unable to modify your files/settings/programs
> (unless it asks you for permission and you give it the permission).
>
> When protected mode disabled, IE gets the full power of your user account.
> So in the same situation with protected mode off, a rogue IE will have as
> much access to your computer that you do. If you are running as a standard
> user, then it can access all of your documents and settings that affect
> your user account. If you are an admin, then the rogue IE can do anything
> it wants.
>
>
> --
> - JB
>
> Windows Vista Support Faq
> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
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Ben Miller
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Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 05:11 AM
Why on Earth would you disable UAC???? Especially for the typical end user.
This technology will be the "saving grace" of many enterprises, small
businesses, etc... I would debate your claim that "many people are going to
disable UAC." From my standpoint, UAC is the best benefits of Vista.

-Ben

______________
Ben Miller
CISSP
GSEC
Security+
"Milhouse Van Houten" <btvs@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
news:OFneHn3CHHA.3396@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Which all brings up an interesting point: is there any way to untie the
> two? Now that the beta is over, I don't want to endure UAC any longer, but
> I was shocked to find that IE's Protected Mode goes along with it,
> something I never expected and which I think is very unfortunate, since
> many people are going to disable UAC yet would never think of disabling
> Protected Mode.
>
> Now, this is where someone comes along and says that it's simple to make
> happen with a policy change or similar.
>
> "Jimmy Brush" <JimmyBrush@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:2C9C28F8-6138-468E-B858-1C4BAAD144A4@microsoft.com...
>> Hello,
>>
>> Yes, there is a difference. When UAC is enabled, IE runs in protected
>> mode. This mode is much, much more restrictive than the mode IE runs in
>> when running under a standard user account.
>>
>> When IE is running in protected mode, it cannot save/modify any files on
>> your computer (other than temporary internet files), save/modify any
>> registry keys (except for certain ones it needs to work), and it cannot
>> talk to any other programs on your computer (except for one that is used
>> to ask you for permission).
>>
>> In protected mode, when IE wants out of this "protection box", it has to
>> go through the broker program, which asks you for permission before it
>> proceeds. In effect, YOU have to know about and approve IE to allow it to
>> touch any file, registry key, program, etc. on your computer.
>>
>> In this scenario, if your IE is taken control of by some rogue program,
>> that rogue program will be unable to damage anything except a few IE
>> settings, because it will be unable to modify your
>> files/settings/programs (unless it asks you for permission and you give
>> it the permission).
>>
>> When protected mode disabled, IE gets the full power of your user
>> account. So in the same situation with protected mode off, a rogue IE
>> will have as much access to your computer that you do. If you are running
>> as a standard user, then it can access all of your documents and settings
>> that affect your user account. If you are an admin, then the rogue IE can
>> do anything it wants.
>>
>>
>> --
>> - JB
>>
>> Windows Vista Support Faq
>> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
>
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David J. Craig
Guest
Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 05:43 AM
I can only think of two possible reasons for his post. 1) He is a bot
master and wants to keep people from implementing minimal security. 2)
Stupidity is the other.

Why can't people understand that UAC is just a technique that has been in
Unix for decades?

"Ben Miller" <ben@SPAMSUCKSthemillerexperience.com> wrote in message
news:599BC259-2665-4AC1-97B3-62C9A938E0CA@microsoft.com...
> Why on Earth would you disable UAC???? Especially for the typical end
> user. This technology will be the "saving grace" of many enterprises,
> small businesses, etc... I would debate your claim that "many people are
> going to disable UAC." From my standpoint, UAC is the best benefits of
> Vista.
>
> -Ben
>
> ______________
> Ben Miller
> CISSP
> GSEC
> Security+
> "Milhouse Van Houten" <btvs@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
> news:OFneHn3CHHA.3396@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Which all brings up an interesting point: is there any way to untie the
>> two? Now that the beta is over, I don't want to endure UAC any longer,
>> but I was shocked to find that IE's Protected Mode goes along with it,
>> something I never expected and which I think is very unfortunate, since
>> many people are going to disable UAC yet would never think of disabling
>> Protected Mode.
>>
>> Now, this is where someone comes along and says that it's simple to make
>> happen with a policy change or similar.
>>
>> "Jimmy Brush" <JimmyBrush@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:2C9C28F8-6138-468E-B858-1C4BAAD144A4@microsoft.com...
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> Yes, there is a difference. When UAC is enabled, IE runs in protected
>>> mode. This mode is much, much more restrictive than the mode IE runs in
>>> when running under a standard user account.
>>>
>>> When IE is running in protected mode, it cannot save/modify any files on
>>> your computer (other than temporary internet files), save/modify any
>>> registry keys (except for certain ones it needs to work), and it cannot
>>> talk to any other programs on your computer (except for one that is used
>>> to ask you for permission).
>>>
>>> In protected mode, when IE wants out of this "protection box", it has to
>>> go through the broker program, which asks you for permission before it
>>> proceeds. In effect, YOU have to know about and approve IE to allow it
>>> to touch any file, registry key, program, etc. on your computer.
>>>
>>> In this scenario, if your IE is taken control of by some rogue program,
>>> that rogue program will be unable to damage anything except a few IE
>>> settings, because it will be unable to modify your
>>> files/settings/programs (unless it asks you for permission and you give
>>> it the permission).
>>>
>>> When protected mode disabled, IE gets the full power of your user
>>> account. So in the same situation with protected mode off, a rogue IE
>>> will have as much access to your computer that you do. If you are
>>> running as a standard user, then it can access all of your documents and
>>> settings that affect your user account. If you are an admin, then the
>>> rogue IE can do anything it wants.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> - JB
>>>
>>> Windows Vista Support Faq
>>> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
>>
>

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Milhouse Van Houten
Guest
Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 06:10 AM
Come on people, face it, very experienced users are not going to fly with
it. They just aren't. Further, since they are experienced, they have much
less of a need for it, since rogue programs aren't running around on their
systems in the first place.

(Note that I'm not talking about IE's Protected Mode here, which I have no
problem with, but system prompts unrelated to IE.)

I fully agree that everyone else should leave it on.

As I said in another thread, what I would have preferred is a way for it to
work where you only see a prompt for elevation when it's a result of
something that you *didn't* just ask to do yourself. All the annoyances
would fall away then, and you'd only be alerted when there's some other
action occurring on the system other than you, say, clicking to go change
your page file.

"David J. Craig" <Dave@yoshimuni.com> wrote in message
news:O5CLo25CHHA.5068@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I can only think of two possible reasons for his post. 1) He is a bot
>master and wants to keep people from implementing minimal security. 2)
>Stupidity is the other.
>
> Why can't people understand that UAC is just a technique that has been in
> Unix for decades?
>
> "Ben Miller" <ben@SPAMSUCKSthemillerexperience.com> wrote in message
> news:599BC259-2665-4AC1-97B3-62C9A938E0CA@microsoft.com...
>> Why on Earth would you disable UAC???? Especially for the typical end
>> user. This technology will be the "saving grace" of many enterprises,
>> small businesses, etc... I would debate your claim that "many people are
>> going to disable UAC." From my standpoint, UAC is the best benefits of
>> Vista.
>>
>> -Ben
>>
>> ______________
>> Ben Miller
>> CISSP
>> GSEC
>> Security+
>> "Milhouse Van Houten" <btvs@myrealbox.com> wrote in message
>> news:OFneHn3CHHA.3396@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> Which all brings up an interesting point: is there any way to untie the
>>> two? Now that the beta is over, I don't want to endure UAC any longer,
>>> but I was shocked to find that IE's Protected Mode goes along with it,
>>> something I never expected and which I think is very unfortunate, since
>>> many people are going to disable UAC yet would never think of disabling
>>> Protected Mode.
>>>
>>> Now, this is where someone comes along and says that it's simple to make
>>> happen with a policy change or similar.
>>>
>>> "Jimmy Brush" <JimmyBrush@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:2C9C28F8-6138-468E-B858-1C4BAAD144A4@microsoft.com...
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> Yes, there is a difference. When UAC is enabled, IE runs in protected
>>>> mode. This mode is much, much more restrictive than the mode IE runs in
>>>> when running under a standard user account.
>>>>
>>>> When IE is running in protected mode, it cannot save/modify any files
>>>> on your computer (other than temporary internet files), save/modify any
>>>> registry keys (except for certain ones it needs to work), and it cannot
>>>> talk to any other programs on your computer (except for one that is
>>>> used to ask you for permission).
>>>>
>>>> In protected mode, when IE wants out of this "protection box", it has
>>>> to go through the broker program, which asks you for permission before
>>>> it proceeds. In effect, YOU have to know about and approve IE to allow
>>>> it to touch any file, registry key, program, etc. on your computer.
>>>>
>>>> In this scenario, if your IE is taken control of by some rogue program,
>>>> that rogue program will be unable to damage anything except a few IE
>>>> settings, because it will be unable to modify your
>>>> files/settings/programs (unless it asks you for permission and you give
>>>> it the permission).
>>>>
>>>> When protected mode disabled, IE gets the full power of your user
>>>> account. So in the same situation with protected mode off, a rogue IE
>>>> will have as much access to your computer that you do. If you are
>>>> running as a standard user, then it can access all of your documents
>>>> and settings that affect your user account. If you are an admin, then
>>>> the rogue IE can do anything it wants.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> - JB
>>>>
>>>> Windows Vista Support Faq
>>>> http://www.jimmah.com/vista/
>>>
>>
>
>

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mik
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Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 12:44 PM


"Milhouse Van Houten" wrote:
> since many people are
> going to disable UAC
only stupid people disables the UAC
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Ben Miller
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Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 01:15 PM
Boy mik, those last two posts were very eloquent. Grow up kid.

-Ben
______________
Ben Miller
CISSP
GSEC
Security+


"mik" <mik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BCF9EE68-FD6C-479E-99CA-2856B281D23E@microsoft.com...
>
>
> "Milhouse Van Houten" wrote:
>
>> since many people are
>> going to disable UAC
>
> only stupid people disables the UAC
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Mark D. VandenBerg
Guest
Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 04:11 PM
Apparently grammar and punctuation are taught at the next grade level, as
well...

"Ben Miller" <ben@SPAMSUCKSthemillerexperience.com> wrote in message
news:85D5DBFB-56E5-4871-9C4F-6C88647F11FF@microsoft.com...
> Boy mik, those last two posts were very eloquent. Grow up kid.
>
> -Ben
> ______________
> Ben Miller
> CISSP
> GSEC
> Security+
>
>
> "mik" <mik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BCF9EE68-FD6C-479E-99CA-2856B281D23E@microsoft.com...
>>
>>
>> "Milhouse Van Houten" wrote:
>>
>>> since many people are
>>> going to disable UAC
>>
>> only stupid people disables the UAC
>
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Mark D. VandenBerg
Guest
Posts: n/a
 
Re: UAC and IE Protected Mode?
Posted: 11-19-2006, 04:12 PM
Apparently grammar and punctuation are taught at the next grade level, as
well...

"Ben Miller" <ben@SPAMSUCKSthemillerexperience.com> wrote in message
news:85D5DBFB-56E5-4871-9C4F-6C88647F11FF@microsoft.com...
> Boy mik, those last two posts were very eloquent. Grow up kid.
>
> -Ben
> ______________
> Ben Miller
> CISSP
> GSEC
> Security+
>
>
> "mik" <mik@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BCF9EE68-FD6C-479E-99CA-2856B281D23E@microsoft.com...
>>
>>
>> "Milhouse Van Houten" wrote:
>>
>>> since many people are
>>> going to disable UAC
>>
>> only stupid people disables the UAC
>
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