J�rel DD Arbaugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on Sat, 6 Jul 2002
15:29:08 PDT:
>.pif ??? That is normally a configuration ("Properties") file
>for running a DOS program under windows. [...]
Theoretically, you are right. However, all windows versions
happen to execute files with ".pif" extension even if their
content has nothing to do with (harmless) configuration data
produced by the PIF editor.
Several viruses (e.g. the "Anna Kournikowa" virus) use the fact
that the extension ".pif" is normally always suppressed in the
windows explorer (unless you manually fiddle around in the
registry). The content of the "PIF" files they send you, however,
are standard MS-DOS exe files (starting with "MZ").
Needless to say, that an ".EXE" file can do practically
everything to your hard disk ... :-(
I therefore suggest to use e-mail clients that always display the
real (i.e. full) file name of any attachments, independent of the
settings of the windows explorer. With those clients, you see
names like "readme.txt.pif" (which appears as "readme.txt" in the
explorer although it may contain an exe file) and will hopefully
never click on any file with a double extension.
PS: For those who understand German, my article "Tipps zur
Internet-Sicherheit" ("Tips regarding Internet security")
might be of interest. It can be found under the URL
"http://www.redtenbacher.de/support/security.htm";.
- Wolfgang Redtenbacher
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