Author: Eugene Nalimov
Date: 02:42:51 05/05/00
Go up one level in this thread
On May 05, 2000 at 05:15:50, Frederic Friedel wrote:
>On May 05, 2000 at 00:22:19, Eugene Nalimov wrote:
>
>>The executable did not start automatically -- user had to manually run it. I
>>beleive that there are 2 factors why there are no such viruses on *nux:
>>
>>(1) It's much less widespread than Windows (I am not talking about server
>>environment/universities).
>
>>(2) Average user knows that's it not a good isea to start unknown executable.
>
>The point, Eugene, is that an operating system or mailer may allow an unknown
>executable to start, but it should definitely restrict what it can do. Very
>strictly. Certainly the command "nuke the system" should at least lead to a
>query ("executable wants to nuke the system -- proceed/cancel"). That is exactly
>what the default settings in Windows did not do in the case of the LoveLetter
>worm. It even obeyed the command "nuke all stations to which you are connected".
>
>Now they want to go after the "perpetrator". "We must find the culprit and
>punish him severely." How? Fine the schoolboy ten billion dollars? Sentence him
>to 36,000 years in prison? If some kid sends a message to the Pentagon saying
>"attack Moscow", and this actually causes a minuteman to be fired, would we go
>after him or the people who made it possible for him to actually fire an
>intercontinental missile from his home? We have now learnt, the hard way, that
>the Internet Explorer, Outlook, Exchange and Windows will unflinchingly nuke a
>remote system if someone tells them to. Our Phillipino schoolboy simply pressed
>the button.
>
>Tell your guys that they have two weeks to get proper security for Windows into
>place or Janet will come get them.
MS has the fixes for its e-mail software available for many months. Go to
www.officeupdate.microsoft.com to get either of the following patches:
Outlook 2000 Email Attachment Security Update
Outlook 98 Email Attachment Security Update
Outlook 97 Email Attachment Security Update
This at least partially solves the problem -- it gives a user reasonable worded
warning "running unknown executable is not a good idea; run it on your own
risk".
Eugene
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