Microsoft - Now there is a jpg security issue

[Glen]

Microsoft has announced there is a security issue with Windows, Office and some third party programs dealing with jpgs. I am assuming most here have a jpg or two on their pc, might be worth heading over to windowsupdate at microsoft to see if they need an update (yes, this is on top of sp2)

[birddog114]

Glen,
Glad to hear from you again, where have you been? Gary & myself thought that you may heading to Photokina!!!
I've done it yesterday, thanks for the info

[Glen]

Hi Birddog, Photokina would have been a great option! Just working a little bit too hard. Only time I picked up a camera this week was to show a client why he should get a DSLR instead of a point and shoot and took two shots of my drink bottle to show him depth of field! What is life coming to?

[Onyx]

http://news.com.com/Major+graphics+flaw ... g=nefd.top

"...Windows XP Service Pack 2, which is still being distributed to many customers' computers, is not vulnerable to the flaw."

(bold: my emphasis)

[MHD]

That is one of the many resons I use Linux!
Go the penguin!!!

[Onyx]

Yeah, but try playing any game on Linux. No API support, even mainstream vid drivers are rare.

[MHD]

I have Nvidia working on my laptop (Yes... ATI is very badly supported)

I dont play a huge number of games but there are a few ports to linux (UT2004)

[Glen]

Onyx, probably not a problem on your travelling laptop, but there is also a fix for Microsoft Office and then a third scan for third party software which may be vulnerable. All on the microsoft website.

[Onyx]

Well, currently it's just a vulnerability - no one's exploited it yet (touch wood).

[Glen]

Thank god Onyx, can you imagine not being able to open a jpg without worrying? I can imagine it must be possible because in a different life when I used to spend 6 months a year travelling, my business partner and I had a program which would hide information inside jpgs. Not excel files or anything just ascii but from memory about 500-600 characters inside a jpg. Would look like a jpg to anyone but after going through this program the message would come out. Don't think it had any great encryption, really just no one would take a second glance at a jpg.

[Killakoala]

It would be very challenging for a programmer/virus writer to write malicious code in a JPG anyway. It's not executable. I'd like to hear Microbloats uptake on WHY they think it could be a problem.

[gstark]

It would be very challenging for a programmer/virus writer to write malicious code in a JPG anyway. It's not executable. I'd like to hear Microbloats uptake on WHY they think it could be a problem.

Steve,

I could envisage a situation, when you're looking at an image displayed in IE, and where that image might contain some scripting commands that might be malicious.