Re: incredible

From: John Larkin (jjlarkin_at_highSNIPlandTHIStechPLEASEnology.com)
Date: 09/15/04 

Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 14:59:52 -0700

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 07:41:27 +1000, "Adam. Seychell"
<invald@invalid.com> wrote:

>Dirk Bruere at Neopax wrote:
>
>> John Larkin wrote:
>>
>>> http://www.securityfocus.com/news/9508
>>>
>>
>> "The old bromide that promises you can't get a computer virus by looking
>> at an image file crumbled a bit further Tuesday when Microsoft announced
>> a critical vulnerability in its software's handling of the ubiquitous
>> JPEG graphics format.
>>
>> The security hole is a buffer overflow that potentially allows an
>> attacker to craft a special JPEG file that would take control of a
>> victim's machine when the user views it through Internet Explorer,
>> Outlook, Word, and other programs. The poisoned picture could be
>> displayed on a website, sent in e-mail, or circulated on a P2P network. "
>>
>> Utter incompetence - it really is unbelievable.
>>
>
>I'd like to know the relationship between the buffer overflows and a how
>its possible to exploit the this bug to create malicious code. Is there
>some functions in the Microsoft image decoding routines that say if a
>buffer overflow then execute a undocumented and secret language format
>imbeded inside JPEG files ? !!!
>
>Can someone please explain what possible like exists between buffer
>overflows and computer viruses ? A buffer overflow is nothing more than
> an pointer going outside its intended range.
>Has anyone seen proof of this vulnerability yet ?
>
>Adam
>

It's been done many times. Far too may times.

Just google "buffer overflow." Or maybe "Microsoft stupidity."

John

Relevant Pages

  • Re: incredible
    ... >> looking at an image file crumbled a bit further Tuesday when Microsoft ... >> announced a critical vulnerability in its software's handling of the ... >> The security hole is a buffer overflow that potentially allows an ... > buffer overflow then execute a undocumented and secret language format ...
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    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: incredible
    ... > "The old bromide that promises you can't get a computer virus by looking ... > JPEG graphics format. ... > attacker to craft a special JPEG file that would take control of a ... buffer overflow then execute a undocumented and secret language format ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
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