The latest Web technologies can be used to build a secure and distributed file storage system by loading a piece of JavaScript code into users' Web browsers without them knowing, a researcher demonstrated Sunday at the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas.
The botnet-type system is called HiveMind and was built by Sean T. Malone, a principal security consultant at penetration testing firm FusionX.
HiveMind uses technologies like HTML5 WebSockets and Web Storage that are also used by legitimate Web applications.
A gray area
There are no malicious exploits being used, so there is nothing that can be patched to prevent it, Malone said. However, building the botnet by getting other people's browsers to load a piece of JavaScript code and storing data on their computers falls into a legally gray area, he said.
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