Attachment extensions

MTK358 · 03-10-2010, 04:45 PM

Very often I need to post log files, archives, and stuff as attachments, but the forum software only allows files wit certain extensions.

About half the time I post an attachment I have to append “.txt” and ask the recipient to rename the file later to curcumvent this.

I just wonder if there really is a good reason for this restriction? After all, Linux often uses various file formats not allowed, and many Linux files don't even have extensions.

rweaver · 03-10-2010, 04:47 PM

It's probably mostly to prevent the newbies from getting viruses or their systems wiped with malicious code, more so for windows in all likelihood than for Linux.

Although them allowing pdf has me a bit confused... there's how many standing open exploits with acrobat using custom crafted pdfs?

MTK358 · 03-10-2010, 05:12 PM

I don't know, but it would be much easier if you can just bromse to a log file, etc. and attaching it instead of having to copy and rename it first.

There is another problem if the file is not a text file — you have to explain that the recipient has to rename it, which may often be confusing, and it requires more effort on both sides.

jeremy · 03-11-2010, 10:53 AM

For security reasons we have no plans to allow arbitrary attachment extensions at this time, but I've added .log as a valid extension. Thanks for the feedback.

MTK358 · 03-11-2010, 01:01 PM

What about .gz and .bz2?

But then I hear that it's possible to mess up someone's system if a tar archive (often compressed with these formats) contains absolute paths.