Postscript considered harmful with MIME

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3 total messages Started by Randy Carpenter Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:21

#60

Author: Randy Carpenter
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:21

11 lines
876 bytes

I read in metamail's README that displaying Postscript in a MIME e-mail is
extremely dangerous (i.e. not secure).  It went on to say that printing
is relatively secure.

What's the danger?  Can a Postscript document shell out or something?

-- 
===========================================================================
Randy Carpenter                    rcarpent@gsu.edu          % Got a light?
Georgia State University           (404) 651-2648            No match.
Wells Computer Center                                        %

Re: Postscript considered harmful with MIME

#62

Author: Louis A. Mamakos
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 01:43

14 lines
1033 bytes

In article <syscrc.728169696@gsusgi1.gsu.edu> syscrc@pickle.gsu.edu (Randy Carpenter) writes:
>I read in metamail's README that displaying Postscript in a MIME e-mail is
>extremely dangerous (i.e. not secure).  It went on to say that printing
>is relatively secure.

Briefly, imagine if you will that your workstation has a (Display)
PostScript interpreter.  Your workstation has a file system, with
various interesting files.  Recall that PostScript has file operators.
Season to taste.

This is more an implementation issue/warning than a problem with MIME
itself.

louie

Re: Postscript considered harmful with MIME

#66

Author: Frerk Meyer
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 10:31

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1098 bytes

Digitals mailreader 'dxmail' -Motif version- displays Postscript if the
mail body contains Postscript code. It is able to do so because DECwindows
have the DisplayPostscriptExtension built-in. Digital isn't famous for
not keeping security in mind, so could it be that harmful?
 
-- 
Frerk Meyer <frerk@tk.telematik.informatik.uni-karlsruhe.de>  -+
Portnoy@irc             "Do the ride thing!"                 o>o

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