Free converter to convert MPG to MP4?

[yungman]

Anyone can suggest a free converter program to convert MPG to MP4?

I read VLC is good, but I want to double check here before I download that.

thanks

Alan

 

[jedishrfu]

Be careful here:

https://www.techradar.com/news/vlc-media-player-is-being-hiajcked-to-send-out-malware#:~:text=Cybercriminals have been discovered abusing,for healthcare institutions in Australia.

and this discussion on the VideoLan forums:

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=159611

Other converters may be suspect as well.

Personally, I use vlc, and it's worked fine for viewing files.

 

[robphy]

Some suggestions on Windows:

• https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html
  powerful but works on the command-line. There's probably a front-end for it somewhere.
  
  
• https://handbrake.fr/ (but I haven't used this in a while)
  
  
  
• https://www.shutterencoder.com/ (I haven't used [yet]
  ... but seems to be recommended... the comments below say "it is safe" )
  
  

 

[yungman]

Be careful here:

https://www.techradar.com/news/vlc-media-player-is-being-hiajcked-to-send-out-malware#:~:text=Cybercriminals have been discovered abusing,for healthcare institutions in Australia.

and this discussion on the VideoLan forums:

https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=159611

Other converters may be suspect as well.

Personally, I use vlc, and it's worked fine for viewing files.

So VLC is legitimate, it just got hacked? At least it's not a malware to start with?

Maybe I can dig up an old laptop to load it to convert, so if it got hacked, it's no big deal.

thanks

 

[jedishrfu]

Malware downloaded VLC as part of its hack package, and when run, VLC used a hacked DLL.

So, while VLC wasn't hacked, the users' system had malware ready to go once VLC was run.

I heard some lesser-known converters and players' install packages were infected with malware.

 

[jedishrfu]

There is no foolproof way of not getting hacked. Running on a separate machine can work but and files created should be scanned just in case.

Handbrake is a good example of how its website got co-opted by bad actors:

The HandBrake application was hacked in May 2017. During this security breach, a mirror server hosting the software was compromised, and the download file for HandBrake was replaced with a version containing malware.

The malware was a trojan known as OSX.Proton, which specifically targeted Mac users. Those who downloaded the application from the affected server between May 2 and May 6, 2017, were at risk.

HandBrake quickly addressed the issue by notifying users and providing steps to remove the malware.

Hackers go after applications people like and will download; video players are one class of applications they will target.

---

As an aside:

Even docker images can be hacked. Someone installed crypto mining software in a preconfigured docker image in one case. Anyone who ran the image was unwittingly making bitcoins for the hacker.

https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us...er-hub-container-images-cryptocurrency-mining

---

Docker is a way to run applications in a sandbox and provide a measure of protection to your machine.

---

Also, open-source software repositories are being targeted so that even more applications can contain malware.

Story of the phantom hackers who submitted updates and tricked the maintainers to approve them:

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/...mputer-security-internet-open-source-software