can mp3 files hold viruses, spy ware or any other thret?

Question

can they hold them???

Answer 1

YES! It can be embedded, but it is hard, as it takes a highly trained programmer to do such a thing. Use these free tools to protect yourself:

I prefer Avast, but AVG is just as great.

AVG AntiVirus
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Avast Home Antivirus
http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

You may also want some other tools to run and use as well

SpywareBlaster
http://www.download.com/SpywareBlaster/3000-8022-10196637.html?part=dl-SpywareBl&subj=dl&tag=button

Spybot S&D
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

AVG AntiSpyware
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/20/lng/us/tp...

Adaware (Lavasoft)
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2007-Free/3000-8022_4-10045910.html?part=dl-ad-aware&subj=dl&tag=top5

If you are currently having a problem:

◙ Download and install AVG. Use it first and see if it finds any viruses or trojans.

☞ http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

◙ After running AVG go here and run this virus scanner online. There is no need to install it on your computer.

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

◙ Microsoft's New Live Safety Center. Download this scanner to check and remove spyware, viruses, get rid of obsolete files and junk off your computer, and improve your PCs performance.

☞ http://safety.live.com/site/en-us/defaul...

◙ The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software—including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom—and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. You can run this tool online FREE.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AD724AE0-E72D-4F54-9AB3-75B8EB148356&displaylang=en

◙ Before downloading email attachments in Gmail and Yahoo Mail click on the link that says, "Scan With Norton Antivirus".

◙ Before downloading any software from the internet type it into http://groups.google.com/ to see if that title is known for spyware or viruses. Google Groups has over 1 billion posts spanning 25 years to help you. Even after checking it there ALWAYS scan it before opening it. You just can't be too careful. -- Smart Computing Magazine

◙ A lot of the download sites like http://www.download.com/ and http://www.tucows.com/ scan software before releasing it to the public. But just for safety sake you should still scan it yourself.

◙ Here is a really great article on browser hijacking. This will show you how to get rid of it. There is a tutorial and software to get rid of part of it. You'll need to make some changes to your computer's registry to get rid of the rest of it. Click on the chatroom link on their main page if you need help.

☞ http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/hija...

◙ Here is Yahoo!'s Internet Security section.

☞ http://security.yahoo.com/

◙ Below is Mcafee's Site Adviser. Type in a URL in the form here and you will find out if the site you want to go to is known for phising (getting your personal info under false pretenses), viruses, spyware, and many other things. You can use the tool on their site or download an program to do that.

☞ http://www.siteadvisor.com/

◙ Get more information at these PC Magazine Web sites.

☞ http://www.pcmag.com/
☞ http://www.smartcomputing.com/

◙ Top 100 Computer & Software Magazines.

☞ http://netvalley.com/top100mag.html......

★★ TOOLS FOR SPECIFIC VIRUSES & TIPS ★★

◙ Sometimes you'll get a particularly nasty virus that cannot be removed with conventional tools. For times like these you can (quite often not always) download a removal tool for that specific virus. Below are some sites you should look at.

☞ http://www.grisoft.com/doc/utilities/ing...
☞ http://www.symantec.com/security_response/index.jsp
☞ http://www.bitdefender.com/site/download...

◙ Below is a tool called "Stinger" that Mcafee put together with all 54 of it's tools in it.

☞ http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

◙ GLOBAL VIRUS ALERT -- The latest virus outbreak alerts from F-Secure, Trend Micro, Panda, and Sophos. Each anti-virus fighter is reporting the state of the Virus Battles on its front, which reflects a unique customer and geographic profile.

☞ http://www.trimmail.com/news/tools/#glob...

◙ Add free virus alerts to your web site.

☞ http://www.trendmicro.com/syndication/vinfo/
For Trojans try these ( free to try),
http://www.ewido.net/en/
Or
http://www.misec.net/trojanhunter/......
Or
http://www.agnitum.com/products/tauscan/...


And always scan once a week with these free and trusted scanners as well if you go to gaming sites and porn and etc.
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
http://www.webroot.com/freescan
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/ac...
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virus...
http://www.bitdefender.com/

First, you need anti-virus software - download, install and update AVG anti-virus (it's free for personal use) - you can find it here - http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

Then remove your System Restore points (viruses love to hide in the System Restore files), but be aware that if you do remove your existing Restore Points you will not be able to "roll back" your computer to a previous configuration. To find out how to disable System Restore see this page - http://www.pchell.com/virus/systemrestore.shtml

Just to be sure you don't have other malware on your computer I recommend that you download SpyBot Search & Destroy and Adware - both are free spyware/adware detection and removal software.

Next, start the computer in Safe Mode - (as the comptuer is starting up, keep tapping the F8 key on your keyboard until you see a special start-up menu) - more on how to start in Safe Mode here - http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx?mfr=true

Using AVG - run a full system virus scan while in Safe Mode

After the viruses have been detected and removed, run SpyBot and AdAware (full system scans) then restart the comptuer, enable System Restore again and enjoy a virus-free computing experience.

If the problems are still there, try using MSCONFIG to help figure out how to manually disable the Trojan from starting up - see more about MSCONFIG here - http://netsquirrel.com/msconfig/

To help protect against malware you should install a firewall, Zone Alarm works perfectly well and is free – http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

Also, don't forget to keep Windows up-to-date - using Microsoft Windows Update!

After following these instructions go to: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Must-Read-Before-Posting-Hijackthis-Log-t2852.html they will help you for free, no credit card or personal information needed, and they will analyze Hijack This logs for you, to make sure that your computer is safe. HijackThis helps If persistent spyware is bogging down your computer, you might need HijackThis. The tiny program examines vulnerable or suspect parts of your system, such as browser helper objects and certain types of Registry keys. Pressing the Scan button generates a log of dozens of items, most of which are just customizations. Don't check off an item and hit the Fix checked button unless you're sure it's malware. Clicking Info on selected item tells you why the entry was flagged as suspicious, but not whether it's actually malware. To find that out, search the Web for that item's name or go straight to a forum, such as SpywareInfo or Computer Cops. Saving the log creates a text document you can post to these forums.

The latest version adds powerful tools to the Config window. The process manager and hosts file editor help you excise virulent infections. The unique ADS Spy tool scans for alternate data streams, which some browser hijackers use to hide from spyware removers. The program still installs into whatever directory in which you unzip the file, which can make it hard to locate. HijackThis is a serious tool for any user who needs to root out a serious infestation, but wield it with caution. So, go to the site I gave you above, and they'll help you step by step.
Free registry cleaners:
CCleaner does not specialise in cleaning the registry, it's mostly used to speed up your computer by cleaning up your recycle bin, temp files/internet files, browsing history, application errors, log files and so on.. which frees up some space in your harddisk


I've tried these 10 free cleaners
http://www.regsofts.com/freeware/freereg...
I would recommend the following(click on the webpage and follow):

Free Windows Registry Repair(first one) - rather effective, the first scan i did after about a year showed over 500 problems with the registry, fixed them all

RegSeeker(2nd one) - fixed another 300 problems after using the previous one.

and like the two of them said, Eusing Free Registry Cleaner and Abexo Free Registry Cleaner(30 day trial)

Just run them all that'll fix most problems! But dont expect 100% fixes because programs might recreate registry entries when used and so a second scan might still show the same few errors. (ignore such errors)



those are all freeware, hope i'm of some help

Good Luck!

Answer 2

In theory they can carry such payloads, although no documented case of infection via mp3 files has ever been found.

Windows Media player files (WMV) are a different story, those can launch websites and other nasty stuff

What's VERY common on free filesharing networks is that someone has an executable file with a very long name, something like "Bubba's Greatest hits volume I, unplugged version.mp3.1999 concert Artist2 Artist2.exe"

Not seeing the tail end of the filename (especially if the virus uploader knows the default width of the filename display window of popular programs, and names it so .mp3 is the last thing shown before it truncates) someone who downloaded such a file double-clicks and executes it...

Answer 3

Yes, depending on what software you use to listen to them. (Keep your software/OS/security up to date!)

For example, under certain circumstances (I've especially noticed older versions of Windows Media Player being succeptible to this) a web URL can be embedded in a MP3 file, and WMP will auto-launch that website any time you listen to that file. (supposed to be a "good" feature - like sending you to the homepage of the band involved - but was abused by the jerks out there, sending you to the never-ending webpage of sexual advertisements, etc).

In general, you don't see stuff passed through MP3 very often anymore, but it's always possible. There are also many other ways it can be done... but your standard security suite (antivirus, firewall, antispam, antiadware, etc) should keep you in good spirits.

Update yourself, and use common sense!

Answer 4

Yes, NEVER go a site where there are free music downloads. Bad Idea, my anti virus picked up close to 30 viruses in 1 song! Dont use limewire either, although it's a slightly smaller risk, its still there, not to mention it's illeagal. My advice, stick to iTunes or another simular program.

Email me w/ any ?'s
arledgetd
unoffical techy

Answer 5

Yes, it's possible