Qualcomm Warns Eudora Users

Qualcomm Inc. is warning users of its Eudora electronic-mail software to guard against a potentially dangerous security hole that could allow unscrupulous computer users to plant disruptive programs on a user’s desktop. Eudora is designed to warn users when they are about to launch an “.exe” file, the type of file that can wreak havoc if it contains destructive computer instructions. But a software bug expert said Eudora will not flag the file if the sender attaches the “.exe” file and routes it through a file with an extension of “.lnk,” which carries the harmless characteristics of a standard Internet link. Qualcomm said its next version of Eudora will include “.lnk” in its list of file extensions that prompt a warning for users.