[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: unsolicited attachment



>>>>> ri == r ibbotson <r.ibbotson [at] zetnet.co.uk> writes:

>> just received an attachment from Jose L Gomez Dans is this safe
>> to open

This one (as was pointed out) is text/plain and therefore safe for
conformant mailers. Few are, expecially in the Microsoft world; they
have to be able to read all the noisome s--t that they themselves
produce.

In general, it depends on what's going to happen. text/* attachments
are probably safe (although who knows with MS software).

text/html is dangerous unless Java and Javascript are secure. They
themselves are OK, I don't trust anybody's implementation.

ri> Anyway...... once I've got rid of my windows system it
ri> won't matter will it ?

application/* things, especially postscript and pdf, are dangerous
everywhere.

Anything with an external body (think application/ftp with a local
filename of .rhosts) is hazardous.

Basically, if you have truck with hookers, you're gonna catch a dose
eventually. The only way to be safe, on any system, is not to open
attachments you don't know about.

The above are paranoid ravings, of course; they are concerned with
worst-case, not typical ones. YMMV; I turn Java[script] and all
postscript-related stuff off in my mime.types.

--
University of Tsukuba Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences Tel/fax: +81 (298) 53-5091
__________________________________________________________________________
What are those two straight lines for? Free software rules.

Start your own FREE mailing list at

&copy; 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved