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Thread: PNG attachments??

  1. #1
    AOs Resident Troll
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    Question PNG attachments??

    OK

    As of late ( new ISP and email service) we have been receiving alot of spam with .png attachments....

    as I understand it these are image files similare to gif, jpeg etc

    They are coming as an attachment.


    body of the message is
    Hi,
    your document is here.
    Then random text

    aerial under the glass. A handle stuck out one side.
    I am getting 4 of these a day ...rightly so identified as Junk....(still tweaking the new spam filters...)

    My question is...can this .PNG file be malicious??? :shock:

    My symantec isnt finding anything...defs Nov 22 rev 19

    Just curious...

    MLF
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  2. #2
    Just Another Geek
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    It could be related to this one:
    http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms05-009.mspx

    It could also be they're just using another approach besides gif and jpg
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  3. #3
    Master-Jedi-Pimps0r & Moderator thehorse13's Avatar
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    The short answer is no, if the PNG file is actually a PNG image. The reason they are doing this (spammers) is because many of the spam engines are wise to the same approach will common image formats such as BMP, JPG, GIF, etc. It's just another attempt at beating the logic of your filters/appliances.

    --TH13
    Last edited by thehorse13; November 23rd, 2006 at 04:17 PM.
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  4. #4
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    Many thanks....I think I am just seeing more spam then before til I get these new filters set.

    Least its not a new exploit....all systems should be patched......

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  5. #5
    Agony Aunty-Online Moira's Avatar
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    You aren't seeing more spam due to any filter action. There's a massive global increase in spam at the moment. Read:

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10...et_spam_surge/
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  6. #6
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    actually I was seeing more spam....because we had no filtering on our new mail server.

    The filters are now at full tilt...now instead of 3 average spam per mailbox per hour...I get maybe 3 a day that get through.

    And yes I was aware of the increase in the last while.

    My concern is that I was seeing stuff that was usually filtered before.....and was just curious as to the nature of these types of attachments....encase on of our users clicked on it.....

    Our SPAM filter is working just fine now.....not much squeaking through at all.

    Thanks for the info

    MLF
    How people treat you is their karma- how you react is yours-Wayne Dyer

  7. #7
    Agony Aunty-Online Moira's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by morganlefay
    actually I was seeing more spam....because we had no filtering on our new mail server.
    That might cause an increase in spam, yes

    It's a real pain - there must be genuine messages I'm missing because the choice is either aggressive filtering or your inbox filled up with rubbish at a rate of knots.
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  8. #8
    Master-Jedi-Pimps0r & Moderator thehorse13's Avatar
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    It's a real pain - there must be genuine messages I'm missing because the choice is either aggressive filtering or your inbox filled up with rubbish at a rate of knots.

    This is where spam appliances come in. They have a wealth of tuning options.

    Post Thanksgiving you will *always* see huge increases in spam/phishing. The criminals are out Christmas shopping too.
    Our scars have the power to remind us that our past was real. -- Hannibal Lecter.
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  9. #9
    Agony Aunty-Online Moira's Avatar
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    Even so .... everyone I know has commented on the massive increase in spam lately. I don't remember such an increase this time last year, but yes, it is thought to be seasonally related.
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  10. #10
    Master-Jedi-Pimps0r & Moderator thehorse13's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Moira
    Even so .... everyone I know has commented on the massive increase in spam lately. I don't remember such an increase this time last year, but yes, it is thought to be seasonally related.

    Interesting. I have seen spam spikes each year post Thanksgiving. Nothing new from my vantage point. The creativity and quality of some of the junk is certainly getting better. Amazing how nice of a job one can do when the motivation is to steal. lol.

    Volume is up exponentially simply because more and more people are coming online. I forget the statistic for growth ATM but the real problem is that many of them are criminals in third world countries looking to cash in on the biggest crime bonanza in the history of man kind.


    --Th13
    Our scars have the power to remind us that our past was real. -- Hannibal Lecter.
    Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. -- John Wooden

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