Sober worm makes a comeback

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Sorry, but your point is rather...pointless.

Yes, in Linux, files are not executable by default. This is yet another one of the little things that will keep Linux from ever dominating the desktop market.

"This is why we let the World know why Windows is Flawed by Design."

That's just silly. You can call it a "flaw" all you want, but to the rest of the world it's a convenience. The security shortcomings of Windows have little to do with what files can and can't be executed. It's what the executed programs can do after they are launched.

Furthermore, so what if files are not executable by default Linux? If the Linux user base was large enough, this "security feature" would hardly a huge obstacle to malware writers . That non-executable by default rule goes for files that the user creates.

With all of the Windows viruses that come inside zip files and require a huge amount of interaction to spread, you should know better than to assume an email worm couldn't possibly spread to linux users. A file that is zipped can contain files that are already set as executable inside, and when Mr. Stupid F. User extracts them using KDE's nifty-skeeto-automatic-archive-handling feature, hoping to see a naked picture of Penelope Cruz, the files inside would be set as executable - by DEFAULT. And don't give me any crap about root priveldges being needed. An email worm/IRC bot can easily plop itself into "/usr/home/stupidluser/.worm/" and throw itself into "/usr/home/stupidluser/.kde/autostart/" and live happily ever after, using Linux's superior network stack to email itself out to all of the other Stupid F. User's in the world.

Posted by: toadlife   Posted on: 04/20/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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