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Thread ID: 21423 2002-06-25 12:30:00 Viruses in Graphics Files Cameron (646) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
57228 2002-06-25 12:30:00 Our company uses MailMarshal to scan e-mail and it stops all files that contain graphics, for example word documents with a company logo in it

I have been advised by our IT manager that this is because graphics files can contain viruses and other malicious code.

A (superficial) scan if the www seems to indicate that this is untrue

Has anyone had any DIRECT experience of a virus being transmitted by a graphics file?


Are there any other security risks posed by this sort of file?

Cameron
Cameron (646)
57229 2002-06-25 13:08:00 depends on how the graphics are done. jpegs etc no(except for the recent virus in jepeg thing) however a lot of pics are done as html which can have virus in it. some emails i get have html which downloads after the email has bean received which was annoying me so i turned off the html downloading. i lose a lot of the fancy logos etc but at least its quicker :) tweak'e (174)
57230 2002-06-25 21:29:00 Hey tweak'e
Could you please tell me how you turn off html downloading in emails
Jim B (153)
57231 2002-06-25 22:36:00 I'd like to know too, but since I know that tweak'e doesn't use Outlook or Outlook Express I think I'm going to be disappointed in his answer.... Susan B (19)
57232 2002-06-25 22:47:00 Cameron, even if it is not currently possible to transmit a virus in graphics no doubt it is only a matter of time and that plenty of virus writers would be busy trying to be the first.

If and when it does happen it will be like the highly "successful" klez virus and catch most people out through surprise and complacency.
Susan B (19)
57233 2002-06-25 23:10:00 Besides the recent JPEG viruses (as previously mentioned) there is, as yet, no actual graphics files that can contain viruses.

That being said, a common ploy is the double extension trick, which is where a file is disguised as that of another type so as not to arouse suspicion. I received one of these last night in fact, a file attached to an email called "image.gif.scr". Looks like a gif file to some users (see below), but is actually a screensaver which is a common virus format. Other suspicious extensions are .exe, .vbs, and the like.

Most users have the extensions for known file types turned off, as the icon is generally enough to tell what the file is. If you don't have them turned off, you'll be able to see double extension files for what they truly are.
Karrde (612)
57234 2002-06-26 00:23:00 yes susan you will be dissapointed ;-)

i use eudora in whch you go to tool, options, display and remove the tick out of 'auto download html graphics' and also untick use microsoft veiwer.
tweak'e (174)
57235 2002-06-26 00:36:00 Eudora rocks!

Really cant understand why people use OE, Eudora is so much better and intuitive to use.

Its the only trialware program I have ever willingly paid for.

If I was happy to put up with the ad on the screen it was free anyway!

Another bonus is that microsoft targetted viruses leave it alone, usually.
godfather (25)
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