SuRun: Easily running Windows XP as a limited user

Two examples: http://ha.ckers.org/blog/20070228/steal-browser-history-without-javascript/ and http://ha.ckers.org/blog/20070302/portscanning-without-javascript-part-2-2/

I'm sure you can find other examples on http://ha.ckers.org/blog/category/webappsec/xss/ or http://sla.ckers.org/forum/list.php?2

 

Thanks for this hint - I didn't know that. However, it's not comparable to Noscript. An ActiveX blocker? Not needed in Firefox anyway, and in IE you should disable it in the Internet Zone as ActiveX is probably the most insecure technique invented by Microsoft. I actually need it only for the Microsoft site - just add thwem to the Trusted Zone.

And regarding Javascript and plugins blocking - it's completely missing in IEsure (although it would be even more necessary here as the Microsoft's JScript is more dangerous as the "normal" Javascript used in Firefox). XSS protection is also missing.

 

Thanks for the lesson on SuRun, Thomas. I have been trying it out and liking it. Might just make me a total convert to running in LUA.

PS. This thread should be stickied somewhere.

 

My IE uses 0.0.0.0:0 proxy And thanks tlu... SuRun is good add-on to Limited User Account. I haven't done those autostart modifications because I trust that latest OA Beta with Tony Klein's autostarts can cover those.

 

I highly support and second the STICKY! although i don't look to find that happen.

But no matter, i too find SuRun absolutely wonderful and long overdue IMO.

Thanks also from EASTER Thomas, nice lesson and simple enough. All pointers well taken and useful i might add beyond my own expectations.

Yep, i'm sold. I never before even entertained the idea of LUA due in large part to so many security apps circulating so was quite content with running Admin, this is something of a turning point in my own habits and a welcome one indeed.

Regards EASTER

 

I sent a PM to LowWaterMark and he is adding it to the Recommended Reading thread at the top of the page. Too much good info in this thread for it to get buried.

Oh and Easter...another plus that I like about Firefox besides No Script and Adblock...it has a spell checker. LOL

 

Thanks a lot to all of you for your kind remarks - I really appreciate them!

FYI: A new version of SuRun is out on http://kay-bruns.de/wp/software/surun/#8 that fixes a vulnerability issue among other things explained in the ReadMe.txt. In this file I found a hint that SuRun also works for Vista. I hadn't known that, and I still have to try that out.

BTW: In post #45 I mentioned that a Software Resriction Policy would add even greater security. SRP is normally only available in XP Professional, though. However, I'm just about to find a solution how to do it in XP Home. If I succeed I will open a new thread and inform you about it.

 

great post and contributions tlu.

a wealth of information on a common sense approach.

 

Hi tlu,

I'm looking forward to the SRP solution for XP home. If it is about FajoXP, you've already mentioned it, but I have yet to hear about anyone's experiences with it. I am particularly interested in hearing how stable it is and if it will work ok with new MS updates. I'm always cautious about modifying Windows.

Thanks,
innerpeace

 

Thanks for the update news tlu.

I have a Q though. How in pete's sake do i get a vbscript file to open? I tried opening Wscript.exe with SuRun too, but the vbs file fails to open, and thats ok if it's by design, i don't mind really, just want to be sure of it.

Thanks EASTER

 

Likely the best feature and protection everyone should favor most is that you can START AS ADMIN and then the same app returns back to LUA again after use. I don't know of another app that is so pointed on alloting just enough useage as ADMIN and then not leaving the app stuck as ADMIN but reverting it bck again in a LUA type account for safety. In that respect it makes it a MUST HAVE for those users who prefer to keep their system within limited rights all the time.

It can be daunting at times and has cut away some normally accesibilty i always been used to before, but by and large it's a great benefit in preventing unwanted access to items/apps away from non-owners who have no business messing with settings etc. and especially forced malware distributors.

 

Thanks for the update tlu!

I´m back using XP for a while so I decided to install surun. It works great. Wonderful little app.
It is a bit like the Vista´s UAC, I think.

 

innerpeace, no it's not about FajoXP. It's about copying the needed files from an existing XP Pro installation or extracting them from SP2, copying them to the system32 folder and registering them in XP Home. It's a little bit complicated and it's not yet working satisfactorily. I still have to do some homework until I get a solution hopefully

 

Yes, it is. BTW: In the meantime I have tried SuRun a bit in Vista and it seems to work as well as in XP. You have to disable UAC, though, because even if you start an application with SuRun you get an UAC prompt. But UAC in a limited account under Vista when using SuRun doesn't make any sense anyway, IMHO.

 

EASTER, I have to try that out and will report!

 

Hm - what exactly are you missing? By right-clicking the desktop you can access the Control Panel with admin rights where you can make any changes you want. Or am I overlooking something? Just curious ...

 

No, not at all any real concern, and the answer is likely right under my nose as always, i was referring again to vbs files, i'll have another go with it again today and see what turns up. Please keep in mind it only affects vbs files that want to make changes in the registry, and with this discovery i've found yet another powerful ally against something unknown or stealth that might would attempt to force alter settings.

Regards EASTER

 

Hey tlu, can "Run as administrator" be added to other filetypes besides bat, cmd, cpl, exe, lnk and msi?

Also can you run Windows Explorer as admin?

 

SuRun just put me thru pure h*ll for over an hour, but by some stroke of luck i was finally able to get it all back in working order again.

Can someone tell me what went wrong? It all started as i ran a routine malware check with the app AVZ which happens to be back in circulation again and updating after some months in absence.

All i wanted to do was dump out the affected System Restore Information but as a SuRunner no accesss is allowed. OK, i'm good with that, but i still needed to rid those points and recreate a new clean one, Yes i ran a malware, not so bad but anything Red Flagged i quickly dispose of, even in system restore.

What i done was use the Control Panel's user account to reclaim my ADMIN STATUS since i couldn't reach it in the Administrator Screen. The two desktops are totally different of course.

Frustrated i uninstalled SuRun with hopes of reinstalling after i got rid of those restore points, but when i went to install again, it still left me as ADMIN not SuRun User. I must have rebooted/logged off and on dozens of times with no luck at all to regain SuRun Status again. Several times the SuRun settings screen froze up solid forcing each time another manual reset, and still with no change.

Finally after several many attempts repeating over and over again it did finally took hold and returned me back to a SuRun User again as confirmed by both my attempt to open programs and the green circle app Privbar.

What in the world did i do wrong? Mind you, i install SuRun in not a guest or other new account but directly within the very account i use daily as a normal Admin user.

Normally on reboot or log off and on there was always 2 account windows, ADMINISTRATORS BOX and then My SuRun LUA's name account from which to Choose from. Another note, this was not the latest release but the one before it.

Was it just a bug of some sort that prevented it from easily reinstalling again, or did ii go a different way then it was initially designed to be used?

Anyway i'm pleased it's returnd to normal again thank goodness after giving me fits for a good long while.

Any remarks or suggestions are welcome of course. Thanks for this LUA program and all of you who help bring up pointers about how to go about using it correctly.

EASTER

 

For which other file types do you want it to be added? I guess it is possible to manually add it by editing the respective registry keys. If you start regedit and search for surun you will find surun entries in, e.g., HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\ ... or ...\cmdfile\ ... If you duplicate these entries for other file types like comfile accordingly it should work, IMHO. If not, we have to ask Kay.

Just click Start->All Programs->Accessories and drag the Explorer entry to your Quick Launch or to your desktop. From now on you can start it with SuRun as usual.

 

I wanted it for reg files.

Anyways thanks for the info, I will try it next time I consider LUA/SuRun.

 

I tried it with a vbs file and got an error message. I had started a command prompt with SuRun and input "wscript xyz.vbs". However, it did work when I did the same after starting a command prompt with runas ... . I don't know if that behavior is normal for all vbs files - I don't have that many of them on my system to thoroughly test it

 

@WSFuser: I forgot to mention that I don't use explorer very often. I use the excellent FreeCommander instead which is definitely a better alternative.

 

EASTER, you've got me there. But I'm glad that everything works normal again.

 

About SRP in XP Home: Here we go ...