nanog mailing list archives

Re: Virus Update


From: "Eric A. Hall" <ehall () ehsco com>
Date: Thu, 04 May 2000 16:46:35 -0700


Many mail programs (including Netscape Communicator) have no VBS
support in them, so they can not execute virusses like this one.

Netscape relies on MIME type mappings. If there's a type defined (which
there is if you have Windows Scripting Host installed) then it's an
executable attachment. Right-click, "open in new window."

Netscape Communicator has another feature which is especially good for
fighting e-mail virusses.  It is impossible to execute an executable
attachment (VBS, EXE, whatever) directly from a mail message, news
message or web page.  The user must explicitly save the attachment to
disk and execute it by hand.

See the attached screen shot.

You would have to be an idiot to proceed past that, but that in itself
is not much. You can idiot-proof all you want, but as my brother says
"They can always make a better idiot."

Whatever. It is easy to launch VBS from with Netscape.

-- 
Eric A. Hall                                            ehall () ehsco com
+1-650-685-0557                                    http://www.ehsco.com


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