OSEC

Neohapsis is currently accepting applications for employment. For more information, please visit our website www.neohapsis.com or email hr@neohapsis.com
Re: Features versus Security versus User Education
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Features versus Security versus User Education

  • To: NTBUGTRAQLISTSERV.NTBUGTRAQ.COM
  • Subject: Re: Features versus Security versus User Education
  • From: Vesselin Bontchev <bontchevCOMPLEX.IS>
  • Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 12:38:11 +0000
  • Approved-By: Russ.CooperRC.ON.CA
  • In-Reply-To: <000501be7a64$5804a410$0d00000aaesthetic> from Steve Sheldon at "Mar 29, 99 10:18:16 pm"
  • Reply-To: Vesselin Bontchev <bontchevCOMPLEX.IS>
  • Sender: Windows NT BugTraq Mailing List <NTBUGTRAQLISTSERV.NTBUGTRAQ.COM>
Steve Sheldon writes:

> For instance, every Word macro virus I have encountered contains this
> line:
>
> Options.Virusprotection = Disable
>
>  This turns off the virus protection from then on out, so the next
>  document opened doesn't display the warning, which causes the Virus
>  to spread without people even being warned.
>
>  I frankly don't see any reason why Word macro's should be able to
>  change program configuration options.  Actually I frankly don't see
>  any reason why user's should be given the option of turning this
>  warning off.

This is *exactly* what we told Microsoft in the early days when Concept
appeared. We told them to implement some kind of macro protection - but
to make it possible to turn it off only manually from the menus - not
from the macro language. Not that it wouldn't have been bypassable
(e.g., SendKeys), but still, would have made the job of the virus
writers more difficult. Fell in a deaf ear, alas. :-(

Regards,
Vesselin
--
Vesselin Vladimirov Bontchev, not speaking for FRISK Software International,
Postholf 7180, IS-127, Reykjavik, Iceland               producers of F-PROT.
e-mail: bontchevcomplex.is, tel.: +354-561-7273, fax: +354-561-7274
PGP 2.6.2i key fingerprint: E5 FB 30 0C D4 AA AB 44  E5 F7 C3 18 EA 2B AE 4E