GreatFire.org reports:
On January 17, we received reports that Microsoft’s email system, Outlook (which was merged with Hotmail in 2013), was subjected to a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack in China.
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This form of attack is especially devious because the warning messages users receive from their email clients are much less noticeable than the warning messages delivered to modern browsers (see screenshot at the end of this post for comparison).
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This attack comes within a month of the complete blocking of Gmail (which is still entirely inaccessible). Because of the similarity between this attack and previous, recent MITM attacks in China (on Google, Yahoo and Apple), we once again suspect that Lu Wei and the Cyberspace Administration of China have orchestrated this attack or have willingly allowed the attack to happen. If our accusation is correct, this new attack signals that the Chinese authorities are intent on further cracking down on communication methods that they cannot readily monitor.
ZDNet has solicited comment from Microsoft and will post updates as they become available.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Monday January 19 2015, @04:43PM
SEE: "Diabolical".
Nice fnord you got there. Pity to see anything happen to it...
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday January 20 2015, @12:04AM
However, the origin of "devil" is instead closely related (via diabolos) to throwing stones.
Maybe I'm missing an in joke or something, I dunno.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Tuesday January 20 2015, @12:14AM
Have you driven a fnord lately?
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday January 19 2015, @06:20PM
Considering that well over a billion people live in China, it would be nice if we could specify which ones are doing Bad Things.
Either we know and we say it, or we don't and the title shouldn't imply the $scarecrow_of_the_decade is collectively agreeing to go after $target_of_the_day.
I'm pretty sure many SN readers don't want to get lumped in with the NSA/Anonymous/TPB/Reps/Dems/Femen/Al Sharpton either. Let's extend the courtesy to others by specifying who the problem really is, beyond "China" or "Russia".
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Bill, Shooter Of Bul on Monday January 19 2015, @08:13PM
It didn't say "The Chinese" It said China. Its a well established journalistic standard to use the name of the country when speaking of the actions of its government. It should be obvious that not all people of reasonable intelligence that citizens of a country do not necessarily agree with every action of their government.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 19 2015, @07:27PM
MITM built into every MS technology
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday January 20 2015, @09:47PM
I assume here that Microsoft outlook uses SSL or TLS for all POP3, IMAP and SMTP connections..?
So the Chinese government tries to replace the existing secure connection with one signed by them instead. Then every user has to do the VPN thing and thus solve the problem for them self?
And if Microsoft OS or their email software (Outlook) fails to warn properly, it's a problem on their part. But no serious people should be surprised by sloppy practices from them.
Btw, I saw that China also blocks HSBC Corporate banking [greatfire.org] website. Seems like they want to impede their own economy. Rationality abandoned..