won't allow access to sites with username and password required

[Guest]

I am very frustrated with my new HP notebook that is running Vista Home
Premium (32 bit) and IE7. Two sites (forums) which I access using a username
and password are not being allowed. However, some sites do allow access.
There is not a security message, only a retry page for login info. This
login info works fine on my computer running XP and IE6.

Microsoft wanted to charge me 59.99 to "see" if they could fix it. No. I'm
assuming it is a security or firewall issue with Vista since running Firefox
did not help the access.

Please offer any help or solutions you might have.

Here is the website if having the URL helps

http://4x4n8.proboards106.com/index.cgi#general

Thanks so much,
Melissa

 

[Steve Drake]

Not tried your website but ..

MS did fix the way URL would allow username and passwords, details found at

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-004.mspx

Extract :
"vulnerability that involves the incorrect parsing of URLs that contain
special characters. When combined with a misuse of the clear-text
authentication feature that has "usernameassword@" at the beginning of a
URL, this vulnerability could result in a misrepresentation of the URL in
the address bar of an Internet Explorer window. To exploit this
vulnerability, an attacker would have to host a malicious Web site that
contained a Web page that had a specially-crafted link. The attacker would
then have to persuade a user to click that link. The attacker could also
create an HTML e-mail message that had a specially-crafted link, and then
persuade the user to view the HTML e-mail message and then click the
malicious link. If the user clicked this link, an Internet Explorer window
could open with a URL of the attacker's choice in the address bar, but with
content from a Web Site of the attacker's choice inside the window. For
example, an attacker could create a link that once clicked on by a user
would display http://www.tailspintoys.com in the address bar, but actually
contained content from another Web Site, such as http://www.wingtiptoys.com.
(Note: these web sites are provided as an example only, and both redirect to
http://www.microsoft.com.)"


A workaround can be found at :

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;834489

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[Guest]

Thank you for this. I'm not sure this is exactly my problem. The URL itself
doesn't contain username/password info. It is only after reaching the site
that you are required to enter it before being allowed onto the forums.

I am very tempted to ditch this new HP with Vista and go back to XP. But
will that solve the issue or is it an issue in IE7? Getting very
frustrated!!!

Melissa