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LiquidCode · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:19 pm Post subject: Blacklist / Whitelist for IE

Is there a way in VDS with a DLL or something that I can create a blacklist / whitelist to block/allow websites in IE? I have a client that is needing this feature and is looking to buy software that can do it. I know it can be done in IE but there are many computers that is needs this and having a file online that my program can pull from to block/allow site would be better than setting up each computer every time a new site is added.

Thanks!

Garrett · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:43 pm Post subject:

You won't need a dll for this. You can simply make a program that edits the "Hosts" file on the system. It's a list of IPs or URLs that tells the system what to do if someone tries to visit a specific IP or URL. Typically it's been used to redirect users to nothing, hence, it blacklists the site in question.

Problem is, it's been so long since I played with this file that I don't remember how it exactly works, or what format it takes etc. But! Search the net, you'll find a plethora of info on it.

If that's not good enough, then yeah, maybe you will need a dll.

Isn't it possible with current dll's to make a proxy server? I could swear I remember seeing a proxy server example before in the realm of VDS. In fact, I think even I made a proxy server using either SADE's net dll, or PK's net dll.

Or! I shouldn't read forums so early in the morning without a few cups of coffee under my belt first...

briguy · Contributor Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 79

If these computers are part of a domain you can use Group Policys to create the allowed sites under IE security tab and then select trusted or restriced sites. Just an option.

vdsalchemist · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:52 pm Post subject:

There is no VDS DLL that works inside of IE. There is no way to make a VDS DLL work inside of IE. I would suggest that you either put in a proxy server like Garrett suggested or use a Firewall. I do have a GadgetX demo of an ActiveX control that acts as a firewall that you can easily configure to block specific IP's and ports.

briguy · Contributor Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 79

Good idea dragonsphere.. also you could make it a service so a typical user could not disable it. If you have VDS 6

vdsalchemist · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:03 pm Post subject:

Now what I can do is build an IE addon that would send messages to your application and depending on the response from those messages it would allow/disallow navigation. I don't know if this would be acceptable due to all the security around IE addon's and short of group policies the user could disable the addon.

Garrett · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject:

I think the proxy(or firewall) would be the less troublesome way to go on this one. Only security to deal with is UAC initially for install. Messing with the browser directly could run into all sorts of unseen issues.

briguy · Contributor Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 79

dragonsphere,

if you had a firewall persay looking at anything going out say on port 443 / 80 / 8080 that matched a list then deny it.. wouldnt that work. If it was a IP do a lookup on it before going out. "that would be slow" but it seams to me that could work? Might be missing the big picuture though.

Hence Proxy

vdsalchemist · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:28 pm Post subject:

Actually I would perform all the lookups for the URL domains and create a list of IP's then just block all ports to those IP's not specfic ports because you wouldn't want a back door to come up. Also the firewall itself runs as a kernel mode driver and the ActiveX control communicates with that driver. The firewall blocks at the hardware level not at the user level like a proxy server does.

Actually the activeX control is just a convience and I could get rid of that and allow VDS to directly communicate with the driver using a New DSU that I have been developing. The only issue with using VDS itself is that it is single threaded and would be slow at best for this situation.

LiquidCode · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 4:46 pm Post subject:

I guess what I really need is to be able to block ALL websites except ones I specify. I need it to work in my program as well as IE. I tried looking at the hosts file but that just blocks specific sites. Not what I am looking for.

vdsalchemist · Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject:

LiquidCode · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:10 am Post subject:

I tried the script. It works.. kind of. It crashes a lot and it only does the redirect, well part of it and doesn't do the deny at all. It might be because I am using IE 8? Not sure. I may have to give in to another software program. Sad