Powerpoint Virus

Chakar

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5195838.stm

The above link brings you to a description of a virus using Powerpoint presentations.

The virus installs keylogging software on the infected computer and opens a backdoor into that machine that the creators of the virus are likely to exploit to gather the recorded keystrokes or to install other malicious programs.

The link above has more information and theres a target date by Microsoft to release a patch for it on the 8th August.

Chakar

So what do you think?

Have you been infected by this virus.I haven't but..

Oracle

Thanks for the tip Chakar, I hadn't noticed the article on the BBC site.

Capt'n Midnight

Chakar wrote:

So what do you think?

Have you been infected by this virus.I haven't but..

IMHO the only reason why .doc and .ppt aren't blocked is because they are so common, not because they are trusted.

Recent image file flaws where you could change the extension to another trusted image to get it to open have shown that almost any file can be dangerous if your applications put ease of use over security every time. If a .jpg .png .bmp can allow an attacker to take complete control of your machine and word and excel have a long history of security flaws, then the only wonder is that powerpoint hasn't been given centre stage as often in the past.

Anyway here is a list of mostly microsoft files that are considered too dangerous to be allowed to be emailed, by microsoft.

go to http://www.secunia.org and compare the flaws in microsoft office and openoffice or any other similar package


http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011402971033.aspx

Level 1 file types blocked by Outlook

The following table lists the Level 1 file types that are blocked under a default installation of Microsoft Office Outlook 2003. You can add or remove items from the default list through the Outlook Security Settings tab of the Outlook Security template.
File extension File type
.ade Access Project Extension (Microsoft)
.adp Access Project (Microsoft)
.app Executable Application
.asp Active Server Page
.bas BASIC Source Code
.bat Batch Processing
.cer Internet Security Certificate File
.chm Compiled HTML Help
.cmd DOS CP/M Command File, Command File for Windows NT
.com Command
.cpl Windows Control Panel Extension (Microsoft)
.crt Certificate File
.csh csh Script
.exe Executable File
.fxp FoxPro Compiled Source (Microsoft)
.hlp Windows Help File
.hta Hypertext Application
.inf Information or Setup File
.ins IIS Internet Communications Settings (Microsoft)
.isp IIS Internet Service Provider Settings (Microsoft)
.its Internet Document Set, Internation Translation
.js JavaScript Source Code
.jse JScript Encoded Script File
.ksh UNIX Shell Script
.lnk Windows Shortcut File
.mad Access Module Shortcut (Microsoft)
.maf Access (Microsoft)
.mag Access Diagram Shortcut (Microsoft)
.mam Access Macro Shortcut (Microsoft)
.maq Access Query Shortcut (Microsoft)
.mar Access Report Shortcut (Microsoft)
.mas Access Stored Procedures (Microsoft)
.mat Access Table Shortcut (Microsoft)
.mau Media Attachment Unit
.mav Access View Shortcut (Microsoft)
.maw Access Data Access Page (Microsoft)
.mda Access Add-in (Microsoft), MDA Access 2 Workgroup (Microsoft)
.mdb Access Application (Microsoft), MDB Access Database (Microsoft)
.mde Access MDE Database File (Microsoft)
.mdt Access Add-in Data (Microsoft)
.mdw Access Workgroup Information (Microsoft)
.mdz Access Wizard Template (Microsoft)
.msc Microsoft Management Console Snap-in Control File (Microsoft)
.msi Windows Installer File (Microsoft)
.msp Windows Installer Patch
.mst Windows SDK Setup Transform Script
.ops Office Profile Settings File
.pcd Visual Test (Microsoft)
.pif Windows Program Information File (Microsoft)
.prf Windows System File
.prg Program File
.pst MS Exchange Address Book File, Outlook Personal Folder File (Microsoft)
.reg Registration Information/Key for W95/98, Registry Data File
.scf Windows Explorer Command
.scr Windows Screen Saver
.sct Windows Script Component, Foxpro Screen (Microsoft)
.shb Windows Shortcut into a Document
.shs Shell Scrap Object File
.tmp Temporary File/Folder
.url Internet Location
.vb VBScript File or Any VisualBasic Source
.vbe VBScript Encoded Script File
.vbs VBScript Script File, Visual Basic for Applications Script
.vsmacros Visual Studio .NET Binary-based Macro Project (Microsoft)
.vss Visio Stencil (Microsoft)
.vst Visio Template (Microsoft)
.vsw Visio Workspace File (Microsoft)
.ws Windows Script File
.wsc Windows Script Component
.wsf Windows Script File
.wsh Windows Script Host Settings File