[rescue] Re: NetApps

[Mike Parson]

On Thu, Apr 08, 2004 at 11:39:41AM -0400, Phil Stracchino wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 08, 2004 at 10:17:36AM -0400, Kevin wrote:
>> I do not allow any *.zip files through our mail servers and i'm
>> able to keep my job just fine.  Please enlighten me with your
>> proposed solution to the problem?
>
> I think the issue here is, "We're worried about viruses and trojans, but
> we're not going to bother actually SCANNING attachments, we're just
> going to block anything that has a .zip extension without bothering to
> check whether the filetype actually matches the extension or not, so if
> you want to trivially defeat our pathetic excuse for a security measure,
> just rename your .zip file to .scr or something."

The problem with trying to scan the zip files is that the latest round
of virii/trojans passwd protect the zip files and include the passwd in
the text of the message.  Harder to automate the virus checking on that
sort of thing.

What bugs me is that people are STILL jumping through all the hoops to
propagate these things.  I could almost accept the "open the message and
it's too late" type infections, but when you have to open the message,
click on the zip file, type in a password, THEN you're infected... never
underestimate the power of human stupidity.

-- 
Michael Parson
mparson at bl.org