Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by 323 1251 days ago
> create a .exe with the icon of a familiar file type like a Word Document

But this kind of confusion attack is not really used anymore.

Now it's about convincing the user to intentionally run a binary. If the user wants to run a binary, they will do it, regardless if it means double-clicking an .exe or typing "curl | sh" in the terminal.
1 comments
londons_explore 1251 days ago
Windows really ought to just hash every executable file, and then whitelist good files.

Perhaps 1 million exe files are in widespread use in the world. Anything that isn't on that list, I don't want running on my corporate network.

Compilers that make an exe file can have some new windows API that says "I just compiled this file, so it's fine to run".

link
323 1251 days ago
> Perhaps 1 million exe files are in widespread use in the world.

They already do that. It's called SmartScreen.

> Compilers that make an exe file can have some new windows API that says "I just compiled this file, so it's fine to run".

I don't think you thought this through. Because then malware will either call that new API, or ship with their own compiler.

link
londons_explore 1251 days ago
> Because then malware will either call that new API,

As soon as malware is running, you have already lost.

This is for when the user has downloaded TotallyNotAVirus.exe from a dodgy website and tries to double click it.

link