Attack on jpegs?

[medical1]

You need to actually download the image, then double click on the file to open it.

Microsoft released security patch # 3 gazillion to deal with this latest threat. Well at least until next week when they find another hole.

 

[FreeFloat]

Microsoft released security patch # 3 gazillion to deal with this latest threat. Well at least until next week when they find another hole.

:lol:

 

[Bob3]

You can download the "hide a message in a pic" program from http://www.geocities.com/moshe_szweizer/index.html

http://www.nonagsplus.com/members/funimg/AussieSign.jpg

 

[mstudley]

I believe the potential for this has been around for years. I recall seeing a movie on TV once where .jpeg images were used to hide 'mission impossible' style messages that could be retrieved by an intended viewer using an encryption key. Someone without the key would see only an innocent picture.

It's called Steganography and has been around for a while. You can do it with a fairly simple Perl script if so inclined... check this site out for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steganography

 

[Groundhog246]

Note, this is a flaw in WINDOWS Explorewr (file management), not Internet Explorer, so Firefox, Mozilla, etc, won't help.

 

[Mick_O]

Anymore, you could say {windows|internet} explorer - since they're so closely tied together that they're practically the same thing. I run FireFox to be safe.

 

[Groundhog246]

True, very closely tied. But viewing the jpeg in Internet Explorer will not expose you to the virus hidden in the image. You have to save it locally, which can be done with any browser and then double click to open it. So you need to patch Windows (again) to be safe. I do use browsers other than IE (I use or have used Netscape, Mozilla & Opera, haven't tried Firefox). I keep having to come back to IE to properly access websites thet the others won't.
If you want to be much safer, then switch to Linux (I run that too), then there's almost no virus threat.

IMHO, if you're running windows and accessing the internet, you are not being a responsible user if you do not run a virus scanner (and keep it updated), a firewall (software or hardware), anti-spyware tools (I recommned Spy-Bot) and keep your Windows patched. To not do this is like diving with no buddy, no octo, no AAS and not servicing your gear (although not a deadly).