Accused of being a Virus sender !!! (1 Viewer)

[Thomas Reagan]

A few nights ago I received an e-mail (at my home e-mail address) containing a virus. Norton utilities caught it immediately, and I deleted the whole thing.
This morning I got an e-mail from an angry woman(?) saying she received the same e-mail with the virus...but from me !
I replied and told her the virus wasn't from me, and I had no explanation as to how my return address was on the e-mail. I'd never heard of her (she certainly wasn't in my address book), and I don't have a clue as to how to create a virus, let alone the motivation to do so.
Yeah, I know. I didn't do anything wrong, it just bugs me to accused of something that looks, at first glance, like I did.
Ugh !
Thos.

 

[Greg Rowe]

...Don't use Microsoft products and you will be much less likely to have problems with viruses (it isn't virii when talking about computer stuff).
Did you know that it is impossible to get a virus from email? Well, it would be if MS didn't screw stuff up. Email is plain text, a virus is a program. When you read text no program gets executed thus no possiblity of a virus.
If you are stuck on a Windows OS try eudora, it is one of the best email programs I have ever used. You could also try mozilla mail that comes with the mozilla web browser (www.eudora.com www.mozilla.org). Mozilla is completely free, and eudora has ads.
...Just an idea, feel free to ignore it
Greg

 

[Jeff Peake]

Sounds like the Klez virus.
The fact that she got the virus with your name in the "FROM" field simply means that the infected machine had both of your email addresses in its address book.
http://[email protected]
Jeff Peake

 

[Thomas Reagan]

...Just an idea, feel free to ignore it

Greg (and Jeff), I am more than grateful for the advice!
Looks like I'll be installing Eudora tonight and shutting down Outlook !
Thos.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Thomas, it won't do you any good.

That virus was not sent from you. It was sent from somebody else and was made to look like it was sent from you. To explain Jeff's post a little more, when the Klex virus infects somebody, it looks through their address book and randomly picks somebody to be "from". Then it mails itself out to others in the address book.

Here's what happened to you: Somebody you know has your email address in their address book. The angry woman who accused you of sending her a virus - her address is also in the same address book. You were never infected and you never sent her any email, but somebody you know did get infected, and Klez sent her that email from the infected person's machine - only, it selected you as the person to be "from", so it looks like you sent it.

Really, don't get too upset with her. She doesn't know any better: The email does say it was from you, even though it wasn't.

Ask her who she knows. If you get into a discussion with her, you're bound to find the link: The two of you share a common friend. If you figure out who that is, then you'll know who is really infected by the virus.

This virus has been a major problem because it screws with people who aren't infected by it, as you've just found out.

 

[Thomas Reagan]

Ryan,

Yeah, I know that it wasn't my computer that sent the virus. I was just going by Greg's suggestion and using a program different from Outlook to better protect myself from incoming viruses.

I use Norton Anti-Virus with Outlook. Would I be better served with Mozilla or Eudora accompanied by Norton, or would I have the same protection level, no matter what?

I sent a reply to the woman with a very polite "you got the wrong guy." If she responds, maybe I'll ask her how she and I might be "connected." (geez, my wife would LOVE that !)

Thos.

 

[Dave Poehlman]

Tom, I've been meaning to tell you.. please stop sending me that virus!

 

[Greg Rowe]

Norton probably won't integrate with mozilla-mail or eudora, but that doesn't matter. Mozilla mail won't execute code delivered via email! Eudora won't either. You can also turn this off in MS Outlook (and Outlook Express) but I don't use those so I do not know how.

I only recommend Mozilla mail or Eudora becuase MS has a VERY *VERY* poor track record for security. There is no reason that a virus should be able to progogate via email.

Greg

 

[Christian Behrens]

Are you guys sure that the latest Eudora versions don't have the same problem as Outlook?

I believe I have read somewhere that Eudora uses Explorer code to display mails and is therefore showing the same security problems as Outlook.

Which is why I am using an old Eudora version (3.0 light), as well as Netscape mail at work (for historical reasons, all my mails are in there, and I also like the Netscape mail client).

If I were to choose a new system, I would probably go with the Mozilla client or wait for Netscape's 7.0 version (based on Mozilla 1.0).

Just be cautious!

-Christian

 

[Frank Anderson]

Every one of these little shitheads (who create any virus) when caught should have the Ebola virus implanted in them as punishment.

 

[Jed M]

Frank, you should run for political office and have that be your slogan. You would get my vote

 

[Greg Rowe]

I haven't been happy with the netscapes that have been released based on mozilla (though the last I tried was based on a very buggy 0.9.6 mozilla).

I personally can't stand HTML email and delete it if I get it anyhow. I also tell whatever mail client I am using to only display plain text.

Good point though, eudora might use the IE rendering engine to display HTML email. If you use HTML email you'll probably want to verify this.

Greg

 

[Daren Welsh]

MS has a VERY *VERY* poor track record for security

Keep in mind that a lot of these are designed specifically to exploit holes in MS software. I'm sure if these disgruntled wannabe h4x0rs hated Qualcomm, they could target Eudora just as easily ... but then we always tend to make the largest corporations our scapegoats, don't we?

 

[David Susilo]

It doesn't matter what the virus is designed for. The fact remains that more virus attack MS mail programs than any other e-mail program out there.

I've been using Eudora for the longest time and McAffee and Zone Alarm integrates beautifully with it.

 

[Kevin P]

You CAN find out who the real sender of a Klez virus is. You have to view the headers in the email, and look for one that reads Return-Path. The actual sender's email address will appear here, even if the From address is forged.
To view the headers in Outlook or Outlook Express, right-click on the message and select Properties (turn off previewing as a precaution so you don't get infected).
To view headers in Eudora, highlight the message and click the "blah blah" button on the toolbar.
I don't know how you view headers in Netscape/Mozilla, I guess you'll have to figger that out for yourself.
KJP

 

[Martin Fontaine]

I've used Pegasus Mail for nearly 5 years now.
It has rough edges with displaying HTML E-Mails (Images linked online won't appear) are mainly due to it using it's own rendering engine, which is limited but for a good reason. I've received several of the viruses that run without relying on the user running the attachment without any problems.
And yes, Norton Antivirus (2002 at least) works with it.
The program is completly free, no ads, no beg screen, no payable versions with extra features.
http://www.pmail.com

 

[Aaron Copeland]

Keep in mind that a lot of these are designed specifically to exploit holes in MS software. I'm sure if these disgruntled wannabe h4x0rs hated Qualcomm, they could target Eudora just as easily ... but then we always tend to make the largest corporations our scapegoats, don't we?

So true. It's always easy/popular/convenient (take your pick) to hate/target the big guys.

Aaron

 

[Joseph S]

Just tell her you have a Mac and don't need virus scanning software.

 

[Greg Rowe]

ALthough MS is targeted a lot keep in mind the horrible track record of IIS (internet information server), the MS web server. This is considered a horribly insecure product - and rightly so. Apache, while it has had it's share of security issues, is considered much more secure. Apache is used much more widely than IIS.

Also keep in mind that it should be impossible to spread a virus via email! Email is plain text, plain text can't execute instructions - only programs can. Eudora and Pegassus mail have been around MUCH MUCH longer than Outlook Express, and how many viruses have been spread due to flaws in their software? A few, but much less than MS.

Security issues, upgrade prices, crashing software, and unethical business practices lead me to use software from companies other than Microsoft whenever possible (which is 100% of the time, except at work).

Greg

 

[Aaron Copeland]

Eudora and Pegassus mail have been around MUCH MUCH longer than Outlook Express, and how many viruses have been spread due to flaws in their software? A few, but much less than MS.

That's kind of the point. Outlook is far more popular and is thus targeted far more than the others. It's the same way for all MS products.

Aaron