[ShaneToronto]

CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) reports a possible virus entry backdoor which may affect rim devices:

(Source: http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/nat...y-060105.html)


Blackberry working on fix for new virus
Last Updated Thu, 05 Jan 2006 16:22:37 EST

CBC News
The nasty viruses that can infect personal computers can also affect Blackberry hand-held devices, the maker says.

Until now, Blackberrys have been considered safe from virus attack. But Waterloo, Ont.-based Research in Motion said a computer security expert has discovered a possible flaw in its system.



RIM said a member of Phenoelit, a group that identifies security weaknesses in computers, has warned that Blackberry users could be vulnerable to attack if they open a TIFF picture file.

A virus in a TIFF file, or Tagged Image File Format, could potentially disable the device's ability to open other attachments.

RIM said it has not heard of any devices coming under attack, but the company has developed a fix just in case. It will be released after testing.

In the meantime, RIM suggested that BlackBerry users either filter TIFF files or disable their BlackBerry's attachment-opening function altogether.


FROM DEC. 12, 2005:RIM Q3 profit rises to $120.1 million US, revenue up 53% to $560.6 million

RIM spokesperson Jennifer Hinchey referred users to the Blackberry website.


FROM JAN. 3, 2006:Known Issues - Corrupt TIFF file may cause heap overflow resulting in denial of service in the BlackBerry Attachment Service

Shares of RIM rose $2.09 to close at $80.60 on the TSX.