ilaunch.zip - Allows a web page to execute local programs (fwd)

[Peter Murray]

This strikes me as kind of dangerous.  What would prevent a patron from
hitting a file that contains the commands:

  delete c:\autoexec.bat
  delete c:\command.com

and really ruining your day?


Peter

--On Mon, Jun 30, 1997 8:11 AM -0700 "Alejandro Garza Gonzalez"
<agarza at ci.mty.itesm.mx> wrote: 

> If you want something simple you can install in your Win95 machines, make

> a .BAT file somewhere in you hard drive, say C:\launch.bat::
> 
>    @echo off
>    call %1
>    exit
> 
> Then, if you have Netscape, make up a new MIME-Type in the Helper 
> Application list::  (IE runs BAT files automatically)
> 
>       MIME Type: application
>         subtype: x-msdos-batch
> 
>    The 'extensions' input field should read:
> 
>       bat,BAT
> 
>    select 'launch application' and make it read 'c:\launch.bat'. 
> 
> Now, put commands you want to run locally in your machine when a user 
> clicks on a link on a BAT file... say 'notepad.bat' reads:
> 
>    c:\windows\notepad.exe
> 
> so when the user clicks on a hyperlink that goes 
> 
>   <a href="notepad.bat">Execute notepad</a>
> 
> the server will feed the BAT file to the browser, thus launching 
> 'LAUNCH.BAT', which will, in turn, launch NOTEPAD.BAT which runs the 
> notepad...
> 
> Remember, you can also make the BAT files reside on the local disk, or a 
> Netware disc, or CD-ROM, etc, by specifying exactly where the BAT files 
> are in the anchor::
> 
>   <a href="file:///C|/Program Files/Intranet Menu/notepad.bat">launch 
>      notepad</a>
> 
> would get the Batch file 'notepad.bat' from the local C drive, 
> subdirectory "Progam Files/Intranet Menu"... C could be 'D', 'F' or 'J', 
> which could point to a Netware Volume, CD-ROM drive etc...
> 
> This may be a bit convoluted, but it works and it's free =) Not much 
> security, though, but we manage by limiting the feeding of BATs from our 
> servers to only computers with certain IP addresses; outside petitions 
> never see those links, so they won't get error messages. 
> 
> BTW, if you want to run Win3.1 programs from within a DOS shell, you 
> should get WinStart-- ask me for details.
> 
> _ alejandro garza _________________ __ _ _  _    _
>   ITESM Centro de Informacion-Biblioteca Monterrey
>   agarza at campus.mty.itesm.mx
> _ http://www-cib.mty.itesm.mx/ ____ __ _ _  _    _



--
Peter Murray, Library Systems Manager                      pem at po.cwru.edu
Digital Media Services                   http://www.cwru.edu/home/pem.html
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio            W:216-368-5888