Blocking The creation of all executable file types

[arran]

What are peoples thoughts on blocking The creation of all executable file types?
surely this simple strategy would be 100 percent bullet proof. how can malware get in and infect if their files are blocked from being created in the first place?
what other security software would you need?

to my knowledge MD and EQS are the only apps which has file and folder rules.

[Pliskin]

-{ Quote: "to my knowledge MD and EQS are the only apps which has file and folder rules." }-
RTD Pro has file and folder rules. PE GUARD also blocks creation of executable file types.

[jmonge]

-{ Quote: "What are peoples thoughts on blocking The creation of all executable file types?
surely this simple strategy would be 100 percent bullet proof. how can malware get in and infect if their files are blocked from being created in the first place?
what other security software would you need?

to my knowledge MD and EQS are the only apps which has file and folder rules." }-what about D+ and Anti-Executables:)

[cheater87]

Aren't there some types of malware that don't rely on exes?

[noone_particular]

-{ Quote: "What are peoples thoughts on blocking The creation of all executable file types?
surely this simple strategy would be 100 percent bullet proof. how can malware get in and infect if their files are blocked from being created in the first place?" }-
Code doesn't have to exist as a physical file to execute. It can exist solely in memory and execute from there. Your idea would work if you can close that vector. Executable code can also exist in other types of data files like PDFs, documents, and media files. How would you protect your system from something like a new version of this exploit? (http://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/0day-pdf-pwns-windows/#commehttp://www.gnucitizen.org/blog/0day-pdf-pwns-windows#comment-51834nt-51834)

Preventing the creation of executable files could cause you other problems. You'd need a way to disable this protection in order to update your system in any way.

[arran]

yea I wasn't sure about D+ I knew it had file/folder rules just didn't how how advanced they were.

didn't know about RTD Pro and PE GUARD, are these apps still being updated?




-{ Quote: "Aren't there some types of malware that don't rely on exes?" }-

thats why I said all types of executable files, not just .exe but all script files and everything else.

[wat0114]

I don't see how it matters if you have a program that's capable of blocking everything. What happens when you have to run updates or install some software you just downloaded? Don't you at some point have to allow an executable type to run?