I guess I should have read the post more closely.
“None of the Internet protocols enabling file transfer such as SMTP, FTP etc. support streams.”
My LAN is private, ADS cannot apparently overwrite system files, and my LAN traffic to the WAN (Internet) is firewalled. So what is the threat?
I just wanted to know if I took the
Alternate Data Streams out, will Windows XP freeze up?
I guess I could try it, and if it didn't work, I could recover from my backup copy of my computer, although that's a lot of work.
Now, for you, some more information,
Hidden Threat: Alternate Data Streams Published: Mar 24, 2004 and Updated: Jul 23, 2004 by Author: Ray Zadjmool.
A relatively unknown compatibility feature of NTFS, Alternate Data Streams (ADS) provides hackers with a method of hiding root kits or hacker tools on a breached system
and allows them to be executed without being detected by the systems administrator.
When dealing with network security, administrators often times don’t truly appreciate the lengths that a sophisticated hacker would go through to hide his tracks.
Simple defacements and script kiddies aside, a sophisticated hacker with more focused goals looks to a perimeter system breach as an opportunity to progress further inside a network
or to establish a new anonymous base from which other targets can be attacked.
In order to achieve this task, a sophisticated hacker would need time and resources to install what is known as a root kit or hacker tools with which he can execute further attacks.
With this, comes the need to hide the tools of his trade,
and prevent detection by the systems administrator of the various hacking applications that he might be executing on the breached system.
One popular method used in Windows Systems is the use of Alternate Data Streams (ADS).
A relatively unknown compatibility feature of NTFS, ADS is the ability to fork file data into existing files
without affecting their functionality, size, or display to traditional file browsing utilities like dir or Windows Explorer.
Found in all version of NTFS, ADS capabilities where originally conceived to allow for compatibility with the Macintosh Hierarchical File System, HFS;
where file information is sometimes forked into separate resources.
Alternate Data Streams have come to be used legitimately by a variety of programs, including native Windows operating system
to store file information such as attributes and temporary storage.
Amazingly enough, Alternate Data Streams are extremely easy to make and require little or no skill on the part of the hacker.
Common DOS commands like “type” are used to create an ADS.
These commands are used in conjunction with a redirect [>] and colon [:] to fork one file into another.
For instance: the command continue at the source ...
It really is worth your time to read the rest of that article.