Security threats Toolkit

Story: Experts: Windows 7 at risk from legacy flaw

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I saw the whole extension because I use GNU/Linux

"This sort of proves my point, you saw the whole extension."

So the point I've really demonstrated is that seeing the whole file name is a really Good Idea and that hiding the extension is a Bad Thing. (GNU/Linux boxes don't hide file extensions, of course.) I only mentioned this at all because it was a genuine piece of malware that I had received recently that was actively trying to leverage this odious feature of Windows.

"The virus writers believe that by sticking .pdf somewhere in the file name is good enough."

Only if the true .HTM extension gets hidden...

"There are are a heck of a lot of users out there who understand a little bit about extensions, spot pdf and think "oh thats alright it's a pdf" and don't understand the significance of the following extension."

Rubbish. Have you ever seen a malware file named xxxpdf.exe, pdf.xxx.exe or xxxpdfxxx.exe? These files are consistently named xxx.pdf.exe in order to leverage Windows "extension hiding" capabilities.

"I haven't read Adrian Kingsley-Hughes blog"

It's not a long blog, and I did provide the link...

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