The problem is that this feature, widely critizised by the security community, is used by malware in order to spread by infecting as soon as a new drive is inserted in a computer. The AUTORUN.INF file is a configuration file that is normally located in the root directory of removable media and contains, among other things, a reference to the icon that will be shown associated to the removable drive or volume, a description of its content and also the possibility to define a program which should be executed automatically when the unit is mounted.
The Microsoft Windows Operating Systems use the AUTORUN.INF file from removable drives in order to know which actions to perform when a new external storage device, such as a USB drive or CD/DVD, is inserted into the PC. Other security features like UAC and your antivirus program can help protect you, but you should still be alert.Īnd, unfortunately, we now have an even scarier security threat from USB devices to be aware of.UPDATE October 8, 2009: New version 1.0.1.4 released. If you connect a malicious USB drive to your computer, you’re still just one click away from running the malware via the AutoPlay dialog - at least with the default settings. RELATED: Don’t Panic, But All USB Devices Have a Massive Security Problemīut it would still be possible for malware to spread via AutoPlay. exe” option in the AutoPlay dialog to run the program and get infected. Windows Vista and later versions of Windows won’t automatically run programs without asking you - you’d have to click the “Run. If a connected disc or drive has a program, you’ll see it as an option in the list.
Instead of automatically running programs from CDs, DVDs, and USB drives masquerading as discs, Windows simply shows the AutoPlay dialog for these drives as well. Windows Vista made some good changes that Windows 7, 8, and 8,1 have all inherited. Microsoft eventually recommended that Windows users disable the AutoRun functionality. Windows Vista Disabled AutoRun By Default, But…
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