New attacks that exploit widgets and gadgets are imminent, according to the latest Web Security Trends Report from Finjan. Finjan"s Malicious Code Research Centre has studied changing trends in attacks used by hackers to gain information or control of a user"s PC and predicts that the increasing use of widgets is exposing computer users to a whole host of attacks. All types of widget environments, including operating systems, third-party applications, and web widgets, have inadequate security models that could allow malicious widgets to run.
The Finjan research suggests that attacks that exploit the insecurities of widgets are imminent, and that a revised security model should be explored to protect users. "As widgets become common in most modern computing environments their significance from a security standpoint rises," said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at Finjan. "Vulnerabilities in widgets and gadgets enable attackers to gain control of user machines, and should be developed with security in mind. This attack vector could have a major impact on the industry, exposing corporations to new security considerations that need to be dealt with."