full-disclosure - Window's O/S

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Date: Thu Nov 24 12:27:14 2005
From: Kevin.Fielder at ge.com (Fielder, Kevin (GE Consumer Finance))
Subject: Window's O/S

-----Original Message-----
From: full-disclosure-bounces@...ts.grok.org.uk
[mailto:full-disclosure-bounces@...ts.grok.org.uk] On Behalf Of Brian
Dessent
Sent: 24 November 2005 12:19
To: full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk
Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] Window's O/S

Greg wrote:

> In C:\windows\ the file "nnotepad.exe" remained as I had changed it 
> and a brand new (from the same date as the renamed exe) "notepad.exe" 
> appeared and same under c:\windows\system32 and c:\windows\dllcache as
well.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/winlogo/drvsign/wfp.mspx

> So my question next is "If I have renamed the whole lot that I could 
> find, where did this replacement notepad.exe come from?" and I cant 
> really answer

The WFP thread watches for file changes and replaces files deemed
"system" files whenever they are modified or replaced.  This is not
unique to notepad.  I don't know how this daemon works but I'd assume it
keeps a private cached copy of all files so that it can replace them
when changed.  I think this is what "dllcache" is.  This means there are
always two copies of the file at any given time, and since it's
impossible to atomically delete two files simultaneously, the WFP thread
can always use one copy of the file to replace the other.  If not it
could probably grab it from the .cab file that's usually tucked away in
%WINDIR% somewhere.

> that one excepting to say that because notepad is the default html 
> editor in IE6, perhaps IE6 has notepad somehow protected? BTW, my 
> changed default

No, it has nothing to do with IE or the original subject of this thread.
Notepad.exe just happens to be one of a large number of files that WFP
has on its list.

Brian

Hi

If you want to test, this feature can be disabled by turning off system
restore. - right click my computer - properties - system restore tab.

This feature can be a pain in the arse if you are trying to get rid of
infected files that it thinks are system files.

Agree with the previous posts, I think this is just down to a path issue
when windows is trying to work out what to do when you open something.

K

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