[Melbourne-pm] .desktop viruses [OT]

[Toby Corkindale]

Sam Watkins wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 02, 2009 at 04:36:40PM +1000, Toby Corkindale wrote:
>> Attempting to run the file brings up a great big warning message and 
>> doesn't actually run the file!
> 
> It doesn't give any warnings for me. If I download it then click on it
> in the file manager, or if I get it as an attachment, save it then click
> on it.  Other people are taking this threat seriously and writing papers
> about it so I guess it is a threat.
> 
> This is what happens when you click my link in firefox 3:
> 
>   http://sam.nipl.net/xwd.png
> 
> You then choose where to save it, or it will be saved on your DESKTOP by
> default for many people.  Then you click it on the desktop or in
> konqueror etc, and your disk gets hosed, your passwords and possibly
> your money get stolen, and you friends get a chance to have a virus too.
> well not in this case, but that's the point.

As I said on LUV about this topic: When clicking it, on the desktop, a 
large warning comes up complaining that the application launcher is not 
trusted and probably unsafe.. You have the option of cancelling, running 
it once, or marking it as permanently trustworthy.

If *your* Linux distribution doesn't do that, then perhaps you should 
consider upgrading to another one which takes security seriously? :)

-Toby