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Instant Messaging Vulnerable To New Smiley Attacks

Posted by timothy on from the clever-really dept.

titus writes "Security researchers Yoann Guillot and Julien Tinnes have found a way to encode malicious code into smileys and provided a proof of concept encoder to automate the process. The researchers said their discovery paves the way for IM malware that would be impossible to detect since the malicious code would be 'indistinguishable from genuine chat messages.' I've tested the proof of concept code which works very well. Time to panic?"

6 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Take that! :-) by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 5, Funny

    And that! :-) (-:

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  2. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by Leafheart · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought that was the reason for all the "Download best smiles EVER for MSN" links I saw around.

    --
    --- "When you gotta do something wrong. You gotta do it right. (Fighter)"
  3. Virus Variant by JerryLove · · Score: 5, Funny

    As I understand it, there is already a variant out undetectable to anti-smiley software as it embeds itself in a frowny-face.

    I wonder if it's transmittable on a discussion board as well? :(

  4. Re:Take that! :-) by Jason+Levine · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ack! Now I'm :-) infected. How could :-) you go posting :-) such a virulent :-) virus where :-) everyone could see i:-)t? I thin:-)k th:-)e inf:-)ect:-)ion's g:-)et:-)tin:-)g wo:-)rs:-)e n:-)o:-)w. I:-)'m of:-)f t:-)o pa:-)t:-)ch:-) m:-)y s:-)ys:-)te:-)m. :-):-):-):-):-)

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  5. Re:Virus Smiles!?! by sunami88 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dad: Who hacked us!?

    Granny: idk my bff jill?

    I'll go kill myself now.

    --
    Sex. Drugs, and Unix.
  6. Re:Awesome by GMFTatsujin · · Score: 5, Funny

    ^_^