Windows Virus Warning for Malicious 'Jpeg' Files

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:54:09 +0000

Apparently Windows (from 98 thru to XP) has a new vulnerability concerning image files...

An official security update isn't available till Jan 10th. Of course we all handle those

files back and forth every day, so it's a significant risk for photographers using Windows.

The attacking image can arrive in an email or come from a maliciously

designed web page. The filename of the image can end in something innocuous

such as GIF or JPG. This is because Windows, when it displays an image,

checks the true format of the image rather than its filename. So if the

disguised "GIF" or "JPG" image is in fact in WMF format, Windows will treat

it as being in WMF format and will infect itself automatically when it

tries to display the image.

"a new wave of attacks (exploits) a flaw in the way versions of Windows from 98 through

to XP handle malicious files in the WMF (Windows Metafile) format. One such attack

arrives in an e-mail message entitled "happy new year," bearing a malicious file

attachment called "HappyNewYear.jpg" that is really a disguised WMF file.

Even though the file is labelled as a JPEG, Windows recognizes the content as a WMF

and attempts to execute the code it contains."

A report from TechWorld.

http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?NewsID=5070 -

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10684853/

report from the Financial Times. Jan 3rd:

"The potential [security threat] is huge," said Mikko Hyppönen, chief research

officer at F-Secure, an antivirus company. "It's probably bigger than for any

other vulnerability we've seen. Any version of Windows is vulnerable right now."

The flaw, which allows hackers to infect computers using programs maliciously

inserted into seemingly innocuous image files, was first discovered last week.

But the potential for damaging attacks increased dramatically at the weekend

after a group of computer hackers published the source code they used to exploit

it. Unlike most attacks, which require victims to download or execute a suspect

file, the new vulnerability makes it possible for users to infect their

computers with spyware or a virus simply by viewing a web page, e-mail or

instant message that contains a contaminated image.

"We haven't seen anything that bad yet, but multiple individuals and groups are

exploiting this vulnerability," Mr Hyppönen said. He said that every Windows

system shipped since 1990 contained the flaw.

Microsoft said in a security bulletin on its website that it was aware that the

vulnerability was being actively exploited. However an official patch to correct

the flaw was not expected to be released until January 10. "

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/askjack/2006/01/imortant_windows_wmf_metafile.html

- a report from the Guardian, giving more technical details and

recommendations for protecting your computer.

Re: Windows Virus Warning for Malicious 'Jpeg' Files

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 06:57:38 +0000

thank god for Apple Paul