Editing MIRC (section)

===mIRC scripting===
{{main|mIRC scripting language}} <!-- moved to separate article per [[WP:SPLIT]] -->
mIRC's abilities and behaviors can be altered and extended using the embedded mIRC scripting language. mIRC includes its own GUI scripting editor,<ref name="Smith"/> with help that has been described as "extremely detailed".<ref name=Smith />

Due to the level of access the language has to a user's computer — for example, being able to rename and delete files — a number of abusive scripts have been made. One example of abuse was that executed with the $decode identifier which decodes a given encoded string.<ref name="Securiteam"/><ref name="EthHack"/> The issue was reported in August 2001; even five months later, users were still being reported as having fallen prey, tricked into executing commands on their systems which result in "handing control of [their] mIRC over to somebody else".<ref>Lo, Joseph, ed. (January 4, 2002). [http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/news/ "IRC News Jan 04 02 Happy 2002 - //$decode trojan keeps going and going... "] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801103533/http://www.irchelp.org/irchelp/news/ |date=2012-08-01 }}. and <br/>"Aug 30 01 mIRC $decode() exploit." IRChelp.org.</ref> <!--Such messages were disguised as a fake promise of operator status in an IRC channel.--> This led to changes being made in mIRC version 6.17: according to the author, $decode is now disabled by default, and various other features which can be considered dangerous are now lockable.<ref name="News"/>