Can .bmp or .mpg files carry viruses?

[SilverSeraph]

Pardon my ignorance, but the last time I read, the answer was 'no'. However, virus variants evolve so quickly that I'm starting to get paranoid.

So is the answer still 'no'?

 

[Mday]

if they are true MPG or BMP files, no they cannot.

but one can always rename a file, so, any type of file can be a virus.

 

[SilverSeraph]

Well, the MPGs can play, and the BMPs are pictures. So does this mean I'm safe, or could there be something 'piggy-backing' on these files(sorry, very paranoid).

Also, if someone renamed a file containing a virus, will my Anti-virus' download scan be able to detect it?

 

[TranceNation]

I heard you can get sexual viruses (STDs) if you look at too many porn pics or movies (mpgs, avis, etc).

 

[CivilRightsLawyer]

as far as i know...bmp and mpeg cannot carry viruses..but as the previous poster said the file can be renamed to fool user into thinking it is bmp and mpeg when it is not...just be wary of the EXTENSION of the file (bmp, jpg, mpeg, vbs, exe, com)....



my more immediate concerns are with vicious vbs scripts........

 

[OZEE]

But if you rename a .bmp as a .exe it will not execute -- it's an invalid file. What you really need to watch for - and these viruses are floating around -- are the email attachments that are in the form of ***.bmp.exe or ***.bmp.vbs -- the .bmp in the middle is not related to what kinda file it is. You have to watch the ending!

I guess the moral of the story is -- DON'T OPEN ATTACHMENTS UNLESS YOU ARE EXPECTING THEM FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE. And always be suspicious of attachments, even from trusted sources. A friend of mine recently got the "homepage" virus, which then went to everybody in her addressbook. I believe its attachment came in the form of a www.***.com.VBS. Thankfully, I killed it b4 opening it.

However, there's really no major concern for viruses if you practice "safe surfing" and use a good virus scanner.