ANN: vURL Desktop Edition 0.0.1 Alpha

[Steven Burn]

Program : vURL Desktop Edition
Version : 0.0.1 Alpha
Released : Wednesday 7th June 2006
Licence : Freeware
Homepage : http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&p=vurldesktopedition
Download:
http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&act=DL&p=vurldesktopedition
Screenshot: http://support.it-mate.co.uk/images/products/imgvurlde.gif

Packages:

vurl_de-0_0_1-noins.zip (138K)
vurl_de-0_0_1-basic.exe (482K)

***********************************************************************

Description:

vURL Desktop Edition (vURL DE) is the desktop version of the extremely
popular vURL service that's been running for quite some time now.

Although only an Alpha release for now, this application has been developed
solely to provide those that like our service, an alternate method of doing
such. This edition also helps to save on my own server costs as it is
entirely standalone*, requiring only your own internet connection.

vURL Desktop Edition currently allows you to get and save the source code
of any website you fancy with the click of a button, and additionally, see
a list of files it currently links to.

As with the online version of the vURL service, this application is and
will remain, completely free for both personal and business use.

* See System Requirements for details

System Requirements:

NOTE: These are MINIMUM recommendations ONLY and should not be taken as a
guide only.

1. VB6 Runtime files (SP5)
2. MSXML4
3. Windows 98 Second Edition
4. Scripting

Known Issues:

- Links detection will not pickup locally or JS referenced files (i.e.
href="/somefile.htm"; href="javascript:OpenURL('somefile.htm')")
- Images and mailing functionality is currently not implemented

Updates:

None - First release

Updates planned:

1. Add images detection + cleanup and improve links detection
2. Add e-mail source functionality
3. Add net-block information for queried domains
4. hpHosts Online query
5. Allow saving/printing of links found
6. Better graphics/icon
7. "Check for new version" utility
8. Command line support

Suggestions/contributions welcome

Notes:

**************************************************************
Update Notes
**************************************************************

None

**************************************************************
General Information
**************************************************************

This program uses and thus requires, MSXML4 or newer be installed and that
scripting of such, not be blocked by third party applications, or by
Windows itself

With regards to the graphics and layout, I know they are rather horrid at
present but rest assured, unless someone fancies creating new graphics
before me, I will get round to improving them.


--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Steven Burn]

Program : vURL Desktop Edition
Version : 0.0.3
Released : Monday 10th June 2006
Licence : Freeware
Homepage: http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&p=vurldesktopedition
Download:
http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&act=DL&p=vurldesktopedition
Screenshot: http://support.it-mate.co.uk/images/products/imgvurlde.gif

Packages:

vurl_de-0_0_3-noins.zip (148K)
vurl_de-0_0_3-basic.exe (491K)

***********************************************************************

Description:

vURL Desktop Edition (vURL DE) is the desktop version of the extremely
popular vURL service (mysteryfcm.co.uk/?mode=vURL) that we've been running
for quite some time now.

This application has been developed solely to provide those that like our
service, an alternate method of doing such. This edition also helps to save
on my own server costs as it is entirely standalone*, requiring only your
own internet connection.

vURL Desktop Edition currently allows you to get and save the source code of
any website you fancy with the click of a button, and additionally, see a
list of files it currently links to.

As with the online version of the vURL service, this application is and will
remain, completely free for both personal and business use.

* See System Requirements for details

System Requirements:

NOTE: These are MINIMUM recommendations ONLY and should not be taken as a
guide only.

1. VB6 Runtime files (SP5)
2. MSXML4
3. Windows 98 Second Edition
4. Scripting

Known Issues:

- Links detection will not pickup JS referenced files (i.e.
href="/somefile.htm"; href="javascript:OpenURL('somefile.htm')")
- Mailing functionality currently not implemented

Updates:

Added: Images detection
Added: hpHosts Online lookup
Added: SiteAdvisor lookup
Added: Save/print links found
Added: Command line support
Added: Copy webpage source code to clipboard
Added: Disable application logs
Added: Detection, highlighting and notification of META REFRESH usage (see
notes)

Fixed: Address box position when resizing
Fixed: Font used for title not always detected, even when present

Modified: Improved link detection
Modified: Content extraction routine
Modified: Temporary file naming convention
Modified: Source code print routine

Updates planned:

1. Add e-mail source functionality
2. Add net-block information for queried domains
3. Add decoding for Base64 encoded HTML
4. Add decoding for encoded javascript
5. New logo and icons
6. "Check for new version" utility

Suggestions/contributions welcome

Notes:

**************************************************************
Update Notes
**************************************************************

In order to aid those viewing phishing or other malicious websites, support
has been added for the detection of the META REFRESH tag. This tag is
frequently used by malicious persons, to redirect the user to a page other
than the page the user intended to go to (i.e. a phishing website). When
detected, a notification will be displayed to the user, and the tag
highlighted in bold red.

**************************************************************
General Information
**************************************************************

This program uses and thus requires, MSXML4 or newer be installed and that
scripting of such, not be blocked by third party applications, or by
Windows itself

With regards to the graphics and layout, I know they are rather horrid at
present but rest assured, unless someone fancies creating new graphics
before me, I will get round to improving them.


--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Al Klein]

vURL Desktop Edition currently allows you to get and save the source code of
any website you fancy with the click of a button, and additionally, see a
list of files it currently links to.

And they don't mention that on some sites the "source code" just isn't
there? What if I fancy the source code from such a site?

 

[Steven Burn]

And they don't mention that on some sites the "source code" just isn't
there? What if I fancy the source code from such a site?

Unless I've misunderstood your question, the source code is always there
..... otherwise there wouldn't be a website there.

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[John Fitzsimons]

Program : vURL Desktop Edition
Version : 0.0.3
Released : Monday 10th June 2006
Licence : Freeware
Homepage: http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&p=vurldesktopedition
Download:
http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&act=DL&p=vurldesktopedition
Screenshot: http://support.it-mate.co.uk/images/products/imgvurlde.gif

vURL Desktop Edition currently allows you to get and save the source code of
any website you fancy with the click of a button,

So how is that different to File - "Save page as" in Firefox ?

and additionally, see a list of files it currently links to.

That sounds like the Firefox extension that adds a right click option
"View Page Info".

< snip >

Regards, John.

 

[Al Klein]

Unless I've misunderstood your question, the source code is always there
.... otherwise there wouldn't be a website there.

You never saw products that obfuscate web pages? No readable source
code on the page, but the browser renders it just fine.

 

[Michael Laplante]

You never saw products that obfuscate web pages? No readable source
code on the page, but the browser renders it just fine.

Can't be done unless it's the body is nothing but a bunch of flash. There
have been numerous products that claim they can "encrypt" webpages -- anyone
with a modicum of html knowledge can figure out what they are doing.
Typically they use javascript tricks or re-formate the code "off the page"
with lots of spaces, etc.

Got an example of such a page?

M

 

[Steven Burn]

You never saw products that obfuscate web pages? No readable source
code on the page, but the browser renders it just fine.

Sure, but these typically use JS to do it in which case, it can be reversed.

If you can give me an example site to look at, I can modify the program to
account for it.

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Steven Burn]

So how is that different to File - "Save page as" in Firefox ?

It isn't .... but I neither use FF, nor wrote vURL DE with that in mind. It
was written for allowing the user to view a website's content without having
to actually visit it (i.e. when investigating a malware site).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[I_P]

It isn't .... but I neither use FF, nor wrote vURL DE with that in
mind. It was written for allowing the user to view a website's
content without having to actually visit it (i.e. when investigating
a malware site).

Hi Steven,

Sounds good, but I have a question: When I've saved a page through the
program, will all the "goodies" (or "badies") be in that saved web
site? In other words: What will be the difference in danger from a
malware site saved this way, or visited the old fashioned way?

For comparison: If you save a site in the MHT-format, then literally
everything that site throws at your system is saved, and everytime you
open that file, it is trown at your system all over again... I wonder
whether this is the case with vURL too?

I hope you don't mind my asking!

 

[Steven Burn]

Steven Burn wrote:

Hi Steven,

Sounds good, but I have a question: When I've saved a page through the
program, will all the "goodies" (or "badies") be in that saved web
site? In other words: What will be the difference in danger from a
malware site saved this way, or visited the old fashioned way?

For comparison: If you save a site in the MHT-format, then literally
everything that site throws at your system is saved, and everytime you
open that file, it is trown at your system all over again... I wonder
whether this is the case with vURL too?

I hope you don't mind my asking!

I don't mind at all. Put simply, the source code you see is what will be
saved, no files or images from the site are downloaded so unless the site
hard codes the files URL into the source, files and images will usually be
unavailable. Two other options are available if files are to be downloaded
(using the "links" and "images" options, you can download the files
seperately).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[In_Parentheses]

I don't mind at all. Put simply, the source code you see is what will
be saved, no files or images from the site are downloaded so unless
the site hard codes the files URL into the source, files and images
will usually be unavailable. Two other options are available if files
are to be downloaded (using the "links" and "images" options, you can
download the files seperately).

OKay... let's get more specific: Tracking cookies, web bugs (beacons),
links to evil scripts and other malware; will they be in the saved file?

Images, and other files usually are "hard coded" into HTML, unless your
definition of hard coded differs from mine, but for instance an <IMG>
tag, or an exe file in an HTML-link what would happen to those?

 

[Steven Burn]

OKay... let's get more specific: Tracking cookies, web bugs (beacons),
links to evil scripts and other malware; will they be in the saved file?

Images, and other files usually are "hard coded" into HTML, unless your
definition of hard coded differs from mine, but for instance an <IMG>
tag, or an exe file in an HTML-link what would happen to those?

The links would be in the source, but the files would not be present as they
are not downloaded. In the case of scripts etc, they obviously would be
there as they are included in the source code, so if opened in a browser,
would run just as they would normally.

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Steven Burn]

Program : vURL Desktop Edition
Version : 0.0.4
Released : Friday 14th July 2006
Licence : Freeware
Author : Steven Burn
Company : Ur I.T. Mate Group
Support : http://mysteryfcm.co.uk/?mode=Tickets&cid=2
Homepage : http://www.it-mate.co.uk

***********************************************************************

Description:

vURL Desktop Edition (vURL DE) is the desktop version of the extremely
popular vURL service
that we've been running for quite some time now.

This application has been developed solely to provide those that like our
service, an alternate
method of doing such. This edition also helps to save on my own server
costs as it is entirely
standalone*, requiring only your own internet connection.

vURL Desktop Edition currently allows you to get and save the source code
of any website you fancy
with the click of a button, and additionally, see a list of files it
currently links to.

As with the online version of the vURL service, this application is and
will remain, completely free
for both personal and business use.

* See System Requirements for details

System Requirements:

NOTE: These are MINIMUM recommendations ONLY and should be taken as a guide
only.

1. VB6 Runtime files (SP5)
2. Windows 98 Second Edition*
3. CDO (Collaborative Data Objects)

Tested on:

Windows XP Professional Service Pack 1
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2
Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4
Windows 2003 Server Edition

* E-mail facility uses CDO (Collaborative Data Objects) so is only
available to Windows 2000 or above.

Known Issues:

- Links detection will not pickup JS referenced files (i.e.
href="javascript:OpenURL('somefile.htm')")

Updates:

Added: E-mail facilities
Added: Display net-block information

Removed: Microsoft XML dependency

Updates planned:

1. Add decoding for Base64 encoded HTML
2. Add decoding for encoded javascript
3. New logo and icons
4. "Check for new version" utility

Suggestions/contributions welcome

Notes:

**************************************************************
Update Notes
**************************************************************

Please be advised, to save problems the net-block information
passes the domain name to a special page on the hpHosts Online
server to get the net-block information for you. Nothing other
than the domain name is passed to this page.

**************************************************************
General Information
**************************************************************

With regards to the graphics and layout, I know they are rather horrid
at present but rest assured, unless someone fancies creating new graphics
before me, I will get round to improving them.

Installation:

No-install (manual installation):

Extract contents of vurlde_noins.zip to a folder of your choice.

Full Install:

1. Double click vurl_de-x_x-setup (where x_x is the version number)
2. Run through the steps to install the program
3. Run the program

Installation Notes:

See System Requirements

Uninstallation:

No-install:

1. Delete the folder that the program was extracted to (assuming it was
extracted to it's OWN folder)

Full Install:

1. Go to the Add/Remove Programs applet

- Start > Run, enter:

appwiz.cpl

2. Scroll down the list of items until you come to vURL Desktop Edition
3. Highlight vURL Desktop Edition and click Remove

***********************************************************************
CONDITIONS OF USE
***********************************************************************

See enclosed EULA.txt


--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

 

[Michael Laplante]

Program : vURL Desktop Edition

vURL Desktop Edition currently allows you to get and save the source code
of any website you fancy
with the click of a button, and additionally, see a list of files it
currently links to.

This software sounds clever, but I can't think of a reason or a useful way
in which to use it. Maybe you or other users can tell me to what purpose you
use it for? How would it be different or better than those offline website
duplicators?

M

 

[Steven Burn]

This software sounds clever, but I can't think of a reason or a useful way
in which to use it. Maybe you or other users can tell me to what purpose you
use it for? How would it be different or better than those offline website
duplicators?

As far as uses go, I personally use it for checking out potentially
malicious websites, or phishing websites.

http://s12.invisionfree.com/HoaxSlayer_Forums/index.php?showforum=14
http://temerc.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=41

As far as difference from offline duplicators, vURL DE does not download
additional files such as images, executables etc (unless you specifically
ask it to). It provides the source code, domain's IP, domains net-block
information and a list of links/images the page references (it's intended
use is more for investigation than duplication).

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!