Re: Virus's in images?

From: Skywise (into_at_oblivion.nothing.com)
Date: 12/10/04 

Date: Thu, 09 Dec 2004 23:56:15 -0000

Lars M. Hansen <badnews@hansenonline.net> wrote in
news:kunhr0h9cff4al9ceq8m1jg3jlhg65n2fk@4ax.com:

> On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 22:02:20 -0000, Skywise spoketh
>
>>
>>Can an ordinary image, such a .jpg, contain malicious
>>code that can be executed?
>
> Isn't that what the jpeg library bug (search GDI+ on microsoft.com) was
> all about? Some buffer overflow somewhere that would allow the attacker
> to run code of their choice?

Thanks for the hint. I'll look it up.

The more I learn about how hackers do their deed, I keep hearing
about this buffer overflow crap. To me, that is very poor programming
to not have checks to make sure a buffer does not overflow.

If such a programmer worked for me and such a 'feature' occured
in the software they wrote, they wouldn't be working for me anymore.

> There's also the silly "picture_of_my_naked_sister.jpg.exe" crap. For
> those who have hidden the "registered extensions", that would show up as
> a jpg file, while for the rest of us, it would show up as the lamest
> (and I don't use that word often) attempt at fooling someone.

That is an idea I am aware of that I didn't mention in my post. I
agree, it's 'totally lame'. It also does not fit into what I am
looking for.

>From the way people have talked about this, I'm under the impression
that one would be able to hide exectuable code inside an ordinary
image file. That is, if you load the file into an image viewing
program, you see the expected image. But somehow there's supposed
to be this executable code hidden in the file that plants a virus
or other some such thing onto your computer.

I simply fail to see how this is possible, hence my asking.

> Lars M. Hansen
> http://www.hansenonline.net
> (replace 'badnews' with 'news' in e-mail address)

Brian 

-- 
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

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