[Coco] Re: OS Vulnerabilities (Was: Paypal )

[James Ross]

John E. Malmberg wrote:

>Some OSes like OpenVMS/UNIX/LINUX require that the program be run by a 
>privileged user to cause that type of problem.

Just because a person is an administrator of their computer does not
necessarily mean the applications / drivers could not contain a
Trojan.  Since RPM's are convenient, any admin installing from them is
just as venerable and as Windows user, especially from an unknown
source.

>1. Cookie exploit.  

I do not believe this is possible for http://server1/ to read
http://server2/ cookies with today's mainstream browsers is it?

>But if your e-mail client will open external pictures automatically

I have yet to get a no kidding virus from either Outlook or Outlook
Express from displaying pics.  Of course executables/scripts are out
of question, but graphics?  If that is ture I would like to read about
it.

>2. Script exploit. 

With all the Internet mesh-mash of technologies, no doubt that there
are still wide-open holes.  And that is a security risk.  

I still blame the OS.  If and when a modern OS is devised, it should
be practically indestructible and give control to the PC owner and not
the programmer / engineer of the software. 

It is easy to render your OS useless 
  why is this possible?  Bad
design. 

JR