Jpeg Virus Filter
What Are Jpeg Viruses?
Jpeg Viruses are images that can be used to exploit security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Products. The vulnerability has to do with a flaw in the Microsoft GDI+ DLL that is used by Microsoft Internet Explorer, Office, and other Microsoft Products.
SB-Software Products (Including Binary Vortex) are NOT vulnerable to Jpeg Viruses.
Jpeg viruses were a big concern a few years back, but the threat never materialized into anything significant. It was enough of a concern for me to add a special filter for those users who might not be running antivirus software. The security flaw has since been patched by Microsoft, and all modern antivirus software protects against the threat. Nevertheless having the filter built into Binary Vortex provides an extra layer of security and also serves to prevent nuisance trigger of anti-virus software.
Is Binary Vortex Vulnerable to Jpeg Viruses?
No. Binary Vortex uses it’s own jpeg engine, and is not vulnerable to the bug in the Microsoft GDI+. I have personally tested Binary Vortex with a sample Jpeg exploit, and it is not affected.
What is the new Jpeg Virus Filter?
The new Jpeg Virus Filter (version 3.0 and above) will automatically detect jpeg viruses and abort them before they are saved to disk.
As I’ve stated above, Binary Vortex is not vulnerable (and never has been vulnerable) to jpeg viruses. This means, as long as you only use Binary Vortex as your viewer, you would be safe.
However, if a Jpeg Virus was downloaded, and you viewed it with a Microsoft tool that was vulnerable to the virus, then it could infect the Microsoft tool. This is what the new Jpeg Virus Filter is designed to prevent.
