Re: Is an MS Word document executable?

From: Don Kelloway (dkelloway@commodon.com)
Date: 03/17/03 

From: "Don Kelloway" <dkelloway@commodon.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 05:00:25 GMT

PMFJI, but FWIW there are some content filtering solutions capable of
scanning attachments regardless of whether the extension has been renamed.
IOW if a Word doc has had its extension renamed to .dog, it would still be
scanned by the content filtering/anti-virus solution, identified as a Word
doc, etc. 

--
Best regards,
Don Kelloway
Commodon Communications
http://www.commodon.com
Visit http://www.commodon.com to learn about Back Orifice (BO), NetBus (NB),
SubSeven (Sub7), etc.  All of which are "Threats to Your Security on the
Internet".
"Whoever" <nobody@devnull.none> wrote in message
news:Pine.LNX.4.44.0303161325090.5502-100000@c941211-a...
> On Sun, 16 Mar 2003, Ralph A. Jones wrote:
>
> > And while your are trying rtf, also try ".dog" or ".cat" as the file
> > extension (renamed outside of Word) to see if it gets through.  If so,
> > just have the recipient change the file extension back to ".doc" before
> > opening it in Word on their end.
>
> Another method is to put the word doc into a password protected zip file.
> Then the virus scanner cannot scan it.
>
> However, there is another reason not to exchange word files. This is the
> recently publicised file stealing capability. In essence, it works like
> this: the word document has a link to a file on the users system. The word
> document is sent to a unsuspecting victim. When the victim opens and saves
> the word document, Word includes the linked file FROM THE VICTIM'S SYSTEM.
> Now, when the word document is returned to the sender, the sender receives
> a copy of the file from the victim's computer.
>
> There is open source software available (intended to run on a *nix mail
> server) that can scan for macro viruses and other nasties, such as the
> problem above.
>
> >
> > Tony wrote:
> > > "Jim Watt" <jimwatt@aol.no.way> wrote in message
> > > news:bmj47v0nq89phrnjj5noncpflj0iuek33n@4ax.com...
> > >
> > >>On Fri, 14 Mar 2003 11:19:41 GMT, "Tony" <news-reply@tonywoolf.co.uk>
> > >>wrote:
> > >>
> > >>Its a good idea to exclude all file types that are executable - I have
> > >>had suppliers send me spreadsheets with macro virii preinstalled.
> > >
> > >
> > > So have I with Word files and my AV program stopped them.  I'm sure
yours
> > > did too.
> > >
> > > What you are saying is that it is not a good idea for people not in
the same
> > > company to collaborate on projects by exchanging word processor or
> > > spreadsheet files.  However this has become the standard way of
working.  If
> > > they can't be sent by e-mail, they can't be exchanged at all, because
a
> > > floppy or CD is just as dangerous.
> > >
> > > I ask again, can't they use an antivirus program for protection?  Mine
seems
> > > to work OK, and picked up all the prevalent trojans etc. that came in
last
> > > summer (before I started using Mailwasher).
> > >
> > > Using RTF is the most useful idea yet and I shall give it a try.
Since
> > > we're all using MS Word, it will probably preserve the formatting very
well.
> > >
> > > Tony W
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>

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