Microsoft is banning almost 40 new types of file extensions on its Outlook email platform. Because of the rise in email scam’s and email spread malicious software. This has prompted Microsoft to tighten security on its outlook email platform.
Microsoft had originally blocked over 100 file extensions from email attachments.
“While the associated vulnerabilities had been patched for years in most cases. They will be blocked for the benefit of organisations that still have older versions of the application software in use,” Microsoft said.
This is nothing new, Blocking certain file extensions is fairly common for email providers. Their aim being to protect email users from malicious attachments.
Newly blocked file extensions include:
- Python scripting language: “.py”, “.pyc”, “.pyo”, “.pyw”, “.pyz”, “.pyzw”
- PowerShell scripting language:”.ps1″, “.ps1xml”, “.ps2”, “.ps2xml”, “.psc1”, “.psc2”, “.psd1”, “.psdm1”, “.psd1”, “.psdm1”, “.cdxml”, “.pssc”
- Java programming language: “.jar”, “.jnlp”
- digital certificates: “.cer”, “.crt”, “.der”
- Windows ClickOnce (“.appref-ms”)
- Microsoft Data Access Components (“.udl”)
- Windows Sandbox (“.wsb”)
Microsoft is also blocking various extensions used by vulnerable third-party software.
these include: “.appcontent-ms”, “.settingcontent-ms”, “.cnt”, “.hpj”, “.website”, “.webpnp”, “.mcf”, “.printerexport”, “.pl”, “.theme”, “.vbp”, “.xbap”, “.xll”, “.xnk”, “.msu”, “.diagcab”, “.grp”
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