104 ms·
Back in the 90s mIRC would download files to the root directory of mIRC itself -- long before the concept of separating user data and code became the norm on Wi
by mickeyp 8y ago
Back in the 90s mIRC would download files to the root directory of mIRC itself -- long before the concept of separating user data and code became the norm on Windows -- and if people had "auto accept file transfers" enabled people could send you a viral "script.ini" (as I recall it was called) to you and immediately overwrite your customisations. The end result would spread rapidly as the infected users would share it with others who join and left the channels they were in.
- distantsounds 8y agomIRC by default would not auto-accept .INI files, there was a blacklist on certain file types that would be rejected, with INIs as one of them.
- eiaoa 8y ago> mIRC by default would not auto-accept .INI files, there was a blacklist on certain file types that would be rejected, with INIs as one of them. Was that a reaction to the problem described in the GP? Especially in the 80s/90s, defensiveness like that was probably to solve an existing problem.
- tonylucas 8y agoExactly that, it was known as the ‘script.ini’ problem, the download directory was changed as well. It would attempt to send to people as they joined a channel. More info: http://www.irchelp.org/security/si.html http://www.irchelp.org/security/si.html
- jondumbau 8y agothere was the funny magic string that would make half a channels modems disconnect too.
- mickeyp 8y agoAh, yes, I remember that. I think it was because the modems didn't differentiate between the various layers in the transport stream and took anything resembling low-level modem commands to be gospel.
- mickeyp 8y agoThis came in as a result of this. I specifically helped users fix this problem back in the day. Remember, this was the 90s.