help from our virus experts.

[BuzzKillington]

My girlfriends friend's laptop was virus ridden to the point where it wouldn't even turn on. It's been sitting for about a year and she finally asked my girlfriend if I could help her.

Well, I got it to boot in safemode, no problem. Backed up her music and pictures which is all she really wanted. I told her I suggested a reformat because I don't trust my info on a computer that's been that infected and she agreed.

My girlfriend went to see her so I burned her pictures on a DVD so she didn't have to wait for the pictures at least.

I just got a text saying the dvd with PICTURES "infected" her boyfriend's computer. Is there any way a virus can infect a jpeg? (Aside from downloading fake jpegs online that have jpeg extensions but are actually something else). These were all pictures off of her digital camera...

I call BS but I'd like some input from someone that knows more about how viruses work.

Thanks guys. +rep in advance.

[slaveofconvention]

There was an exploit not that long ago relating to .jpg images - most if not all of the decent image editing applications released patches to make them immune. I can't recall the exact details, but there was definitely something. I seem to remember office needing an update for this reason too...

Something to do with GDI+ - more info here -> http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/ms04-028.shtml

It isn't a virus per-se - but if the software on the computer is not patched or up to date there's a chance of problems

[crenn]

There was a thing a while ago about JPEG images with embedded viruses that infected you with a virus if you viewed them... but I do believe they patched it out.

[BuzzKillington]

I scanned the folder I burned on the dvd and it was clean. I'm not one to trust antiviruses but I trust kaspersky 2010 more than some retard that's probably trying to get his **** fixed for free too.

He claims nothing will open and his antivirus isn't working.

EDIT: all of the pictures were from her digital camera. Nothing was downloaded so I doubt any of the pictures were injected with an exe of any sort.

[dr.walrus]

Yes, it's possible to infect any file with a virus. Yes, it's very, very unlikely to get a virus in a .jpg. No, I don't think it's possible that the new Kaspersky (my personal choice, after doing a research project on anti-virus programs) caused it.

After many, many years of fixing computers, many of which were utterly riddled with viruses, 'my professional' opinion boils down to this; young men are the most likely causes of these problems because they haven't discovered streaming porn websites yet.

I despise stereotyping, but I have never, ever seen a woman download enough dodgy stuff, be it music, porn, copied programs and such to make a computer so riddled with disease it won't boot. Ever.

I'm not a gambling man, but I'd be willing to put money on neither your missus nor you being at fault.

[HackSore]

Sounds like your typical computer illiterate getting himself riddled with viruses and blaming the first thing he can think of as it couldnt possibly be his fault!

The jpg virus thing is possible, but unlikely. I cant say i have ever experienced it first hand, but i have heard about it.

If you scanned the stuff before giving it to her, i would say you are in the clear providing your antivirus is up to date.

[BuzzKillington]

Yep, kaspersky2010 updated daily. I don't care to install multiple AV's to scan someone elses crap but ya... good enough for me to give him the finger. I didn't cause his computer issues.

[HackSore]

Exactly, i find it very unlikely that a respected AV program would miss something like that.
If it was something that was just appearing, then maybe, but the jpg exploit has been around for a good long time now.

I would say you are definitely within your rights to give him the finger! :D

[Oneslowz28]

Depending on the digital camera she had / has. It could be injecting the virus straight into the .jpg when it converts the raw data to the .jpg format. About 1-1.5 years ago there was a virus into several camera manufacturers lower end models. The same problem infected digital frames and cheap sd and cf cards.

[dr.walrus]

Dead easy to prove your innocence - scan his computer using the same anti-virus. Kaspersky will find the virus, meaning you can't have missed it first time and you can give him the finger.

[BuzzKillington]

I'm waiting to scan and it detects something in his porn stash folder.

[dr.walrus]

porn stash folder.

he's gonna regret trying to put the blame on you when you point out the virus in his w**k-bank :smoker: