Hotmail pulls Attach-Photo feature over security concerns

Microsoft has suspended the "Attach-Photo" feature in Hotmail as a result of security concerns. Webmail users can still add photos as attachments to Hotmail messages, just not in the same way as before. Microsoft expects to restore the suspended feature by the end of September. Microsoft spoke about the recent suspension in …

[Mike Flugennock]

ActiveX? Explorer?

What are this ActiveX and Explorer you speak of? These words are strange to me...

[Lost in a maze of twisty messages, all alike.]

Sooo ...

... not at all because embedding images in emails is a common way of evading spam filters, then ?

[Alan Barnard]

a dodgy ActiveX control

Should that be read as, 'a dodgy, ActiveX control' or as 'a dodgy ActiveX, control'?

[Charlie Barnes]

IE Vulnerabilites?

"we identified an incompatibility with Internet Explorer that caused a security flaw with photo uploads"

Of course, what they forget to mention is the fact Firefox, Opera, Chrome etc. etc. are compatible and don't cause a security flaw.

[Anonymous Coward]

Got a virus email through them

Came up as here's some photos email from a mate. 3 supposed JPGs with the DSC and 4 digits. All pointed to executables. My AV caught it. Deleted email and warned friend. I think they were some kind of trojan downloaders with an "8" in the name.

NB Email send list included friends name so from line might have been spoofed.

So did this picture attachment feature not check file type or content?

Can you say regression testing?

[Jelliphiish]

read receipts too?

I had an odd one the other day with hotmail rejecting a read receipt replied from a ntlworld.com addy. The hotmail smtp server rejected the hotmail address return of mail via virgin media. wondering if this a second issue..

[Cantankerous Old Buzzard]

dodgy ActiveX

I don't understand. Isn't this a redundant statement ??

What about ActiveX is NOT dodgy ???

[Duncan Hothersall]

So...

MS pulled a feature from one of its websites because its browser had a bug.

Presumably MS are not the only people capable of writing code to exploit this bug, so did they also issue a security advisory for IE last month? If not, this stinks.

[paulc]

oh no not again...

the old ***.jpg.exe problem with microsoft apps completely unable to differentiate content and having to stupidly rely on the first three characters after the first period...

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a dream...

... that one day, the people of the world will evolve the IQ to stop using shite like ActiveX, Flash (anything made by Adobe really) and any other such rubbish that serves very little purpose other than making your machine vulnerable to attack.

[Flybert]

see the icon

so Hotmail, which I don't use, can't input what should only be simple ass HTML 4 code to embed a .jpg or .gif in the body of an email instead using an active X control exploitable in IE, the only browser that bothers with active X controls by default to read a stupid webpage like Hotmail .. where IE could handle the not exploitable HTML display method, or even a proven piece of javascript securely

me head's spinning from the circular clusterfuck that is Microsoft on the web ... LIve!

[Giles Jones]

Doh!

Microsoft can't even code a website which works safely on their own flagship browser?

[Anonymous Coward]

Active X?

Since when do you need Active X to attach a file and display it at the receivers end?

[mrweekender]

Eh?

"Some of you may have noticed that lately, you can no longer add photos directly into the body of a Windows Live Hotmail message the way you used to do".

Er no, because I wouldn't use any of your services IF YOU FUCKING PAID ME!

By the way how's the WORD case going? Have you bought your way out of it yet? Arse!

Ps. Isn't it about time we had a psycho Ballmer picture on Reg? as Bill looks like he's off to Europe (Scorpios) with his wife, that is if the Greek courts can be persuaded to let him buy the island - or so I hear.

[cool.Jay]

Smart one wins anyway

Although hotmail is being used on the top of the hill, users will feel they need to change their mail address soon. There're lots of smart mailing services outside MS world with a good server system. Is it on the way of being over the hill?

[N2]

Active X

Is a bag of shit

Yet another reason to use a browser other than IE

[bass daddy]

Activex =

dodgy

nuff said

[Dapprman]

@ Jelliphiish

Nope that's a standard Hotmail security feature, they block anything that's relayed through an alternate source - such as a mobile phone mail server (if your email address is not with that mobile phone company). As a result an awful lot of people can no longer email hotmail accounts on the go and the only way to fix this is to get MS to add your email to a list, except there's no direct way to do that and their help center is as useless as the proverbial wet paper bag.