F-Secure Virus Descriptions : Brown Orifice

This backdoor is a Java applet that uses a vulnerability in the Netscape's implementation of Java virtual machine.

When the user enters a hostile web page with the Netscape browser, the applet starts.

Basically the backdoor acts like a file server. When it is active, it allows access to the contents of the victim's hard drive using the http protocol. By default is listens on the port 8080, but this can be configured.

The backdoor runs in top of Netscape's implementation of Java virtual machine and it terminates as soon as JVM terminates - usually when the browser is closed.

The backdoor does not install anything on the victim machine.

F-Secure Anti-Virus detects the class file when it is accessed.

To prevent this and similar problems in the future, you can turn off the Java functionality from Netscape's Preferences.

[Analysis: Sami Rautiainen, F-Secure, August 2000]