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What to Look For: Authenticode Warning Dialogue Box

Microsoft Internet Explorer users should visually inspect the certificates cited in warning dialogue boxes when downloading code or content, such as a digitally signed ActiveX control or executables, from the Internet. 

The dialog box below displays what you might see when encountering digitally signed content. In the case below, a legitimate Microsoft certificate was used to sign the content to be downloaded. 

1. DO NOT click "Yes" in the "Security Warning" dialog box. Instead, click on the link "Microsoft Corporation" to get more information about the certificate. You'll then see the following box:

2. Select the "Details" tab. In the "Details" view, look for the "Serial number" field.

3. Check the serial number and validity period of the certificate to ensure that the certificate is legitimate and not fraudulent.

The fraudulent certificates are:

Certificate 1:

• Issued by VeriSign Commercial Software Publishers CA
• Validity period is 1/29/2001 to 1/30/2002
• Serial number is 1B51 90F7 3724 399C 9254 CD42 4637 996A

Certificate 2:

• Issued by VeriSign Commercial Software Publishers CA
• Validity period is 1/30/2001 to 1/31/2002
• Serial number is 750E 40FF 97F0 47ED F556 C708 4EB1 ABFD

If the serial number of the certificate is not one of the serial numbers listed above, the certificate is valid and the content or code is truly from Microsoft and is safe to download. If the certificate's serial number is one of the two listed above, DO NOT click "Yes" in the "Security Warning" dialog box. Instead, click "No" and contact VeriSign's Emergency Response Team immediately at: 650-426-5237 or vest@verisign.com.