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Network Chico security
terms glossary
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Welcome to the Network Chico
computer security terms glossary.
=J=
Joiner: Loosely a joiner
is a program that takes two or more files and 'sticks them together'.
In antivirus and malware circles it is typically used in reference
to utilities that join two or more files together with one or
more of these being executables. The joiner itself supplies a
'stub' - a small executable that actually gains control when
the resulting executable file is run. The stub breaks the two
(or more) original files off either into predestined files or
temporary files and performs various actions with them, as defined
by the person who joined the files together. For example, if
two executables were joined, each may be run with one of them
set to do so in a hidden window so its presence is not obvious
to the user (victim) of the joined file. Joiners are particularly
popular with the mass spreaders of common remote access Trojans,
where a successful ploy has been joining a small harmless joke
or fun program or popular utility with the server installer of
a RAT.
Joke Program: There is
no firm definition of a joke program, but, there are many programs
about that are so classified. In general, they aim to entertain
either the recipient or the supplier of the program, although
it is probably the case that the joke is usually at the expense
of the recipient. Human nature seems to turn many of these recipients
into senders though, once they realize the program did no obvious
harm beyond briefly increasing their personal anxiety levels
(which was, in fact, the purpose of the person who sent the program
to them). So, what is a joke program? Joke programs are usually
seen as programs that do no real damage but in some way attempt
to raise the program user's concern for the contents of their
computer. A classic example is a program that suggests the user's
hard drive is about to be reformatted unless they click the 'Cancel'
button in time and then starts a ten-second countdown - when
the user tries to click the 'Cancel' button, the button jumps
away from the cursor. If left to run until the countdown completes,
a message is displayed explaining that it was dangerous to run
a program sent via e-mail. Although such programs do not perpetrate
any direct harm against the user, they can represent a serious
risk. The problem that many such 'harmless' joke programs introduce
is that some users panic and, decide that rather than risking
the loss of their files, they would be better off turning their
machine off. In so doing, they will lose any unsaved changes
to current work and may corrupt the file system on their machine,
causing even greater losses.
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