[PLUG] The big virus in the news

[Zach Brown]

> Does evolution not launch helper applications for attachments or how
> is it free from this sort of problem?

its free from the specific particulars of this problem, but not this
_sort_ of problem.

evolution (and pine, mutt, procmail, _mozilla_, etc) operates on
external data just as microsoft's software does.  There are undoubtedly
bugs in this parsing and presentation.  All it would take is for someone
to find the right bug and craft incoming data to tickle it into taking
control over the app.  A so exploited evo could just as easily fire off
similarly exploitive messages to every email address it can get its
little hands on.

The only thing that has saved unix user apps from this kind of abuse is
their vanishing share of the userbase.  people have done similar tricks
with pine for example, but that doesn't get you on the evening news.

- z

http://www.securiteam.com/exploits/6H00L0K04K.html