Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| Trojans in MP3s
How do you get a trojan in an MP3 file? I can understand if the file is names SomeSong.mp3.exe and the user has extensions hidden. Then they just see "SomeSong.mp3" but the file itself is an executable. However, when Windows sees a file with a .mp3 extension, it opens a program that has been assigned to open MP3 files (Windows Media Player, WinAMP, QMP, etc). If that player has some sort of bug that allows the MP3 file to run executable content, that's one thing. But an MP3 file that actually contains a trojan? Something doesn't seem right about that.
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-Jason Levine
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Bender_2k
join:2003-01-12
clubs: 
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
 ·Rogers Hi-Speed
edit:
May 7th, @09:21AM
| said by Jason Levine  :How do you get a trojan in an MP3 file? I can understand if the file is names SomeSong.mp3.exe and the user has extensions hidden. Then they just see "SomeSong.mp3" but the file itself is an executable. However, when Windows sees a file with a .mp3 extension, it opens a program that has been assigned to open MP3 files (Windows Media Player, WinAMP, QMP, etc). If that player has some sort of bug that allows the MP3 file to run executable content, that's one thing. But an MP3 file that actually contains a trojan? Something doesn't seem right about that. It looks like the .mp3 file is redirecting users after they run it to download another file called PLAY_MP3.exe and that is what infects the users.
Not overly devious if you ask me and a little common sense can avoid this infection from happening (of course, common sense is in short supply on the web now a days if you ask me...). |
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fuziwuzi
Not born yesterday
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
·Comcast
| reply to Jason Levine
They are actually downloading an executable, and when they attempt to "play" their download Windows will prompt them to ask if they really want to run this. That should be their first clue that this isn't their MP3. But then, should they affirm the choice to run it, the trojan even gives them a EULA they must agree to, which should be their second clue that this is not what they wanted. Yet there are idiots who will continue on.
IMHO, they get what they deserve. If they're so freakin' stupid they can't determine an MP3 or MPEG from an executable, at least by the behavior if not from the file extension, they shouldn't be allowed near a computer to begin with. |
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