posted on July 29, 2001 10:11:05 AM
Eventer,
Thanks, you are right. I will have to find that option and change it. Enough trouble with horses and viruses, don't need this.
posted on July 29, 2001 05:44:45 PM
Well, I'm confused.... Here's what the Eudora web site has to say about viruses and email:
Attachments are the easiest way you can get infected. You cannot become infected with a computer virus simply by downloading an attachment. In order to allow an attachment to infect your machine you would need to run the attachment.
This is about the kak worm. It is "script" virus, and uses no Attachments. If you "preview" it, you get infected if active x is turned on and you don't have the security patch from microsoft. I haven't seen this one in over a year, but it was proof to me that all viruses don't come in attachments.
posted on July 29, 2001 09:00:50 PM
OK, you all have successfully scared me. I just spent the last three hours downloading MacAfee virus software with automatic updates.
posted on July 30, 2001 02:05:31 AM
OK its time to end an urban myth once and for all. YOU CANNOT GET A VIRUS UNLESS YOU RUN IT, OR YOU HAVE SOME STUPID SETUP THAT RUNS SCRIPTS FROM DATA AND TEXT FILES.
Microslop junk is basically designed to sabotage you. Do yourselves a favor and remove Outlook from your system, including its address book. Remove Microsoft Word, or rename it if you do not know how to configure it. Set all its associations to Wordview, as this DOES NOT RUN SCRIPTS. Do NOT ACCEPT MAIL IN HTML unless ActiveX and Java scripting are disabled. Delete ALL unsolicited attachments, and killfile idiots who insist on attaching garbage like .VCF files.
Someone sent me one of those stupid worms yesterday. Shame I deleted it on sight. Should have taken a good look at it and added it to my virus collection. Kinda neat to test my scanners with. Looking forward to the next worm email. And I don't even run an AV software resident. Just a scan twice a week. The M$ dung is worse than the virii, so once you get that under control, there is little to worry about.
Janusaries: Trash Eudora and get a mail reader that dont do macros. A good one is the newsreader Agent from www.forteinc.com .
And for HTML there is a non-Java version of Opera that should be just fine. Or keep Eudora and change its associations to harmless non-M$ stuff.
posted on July 30, 2001 04:32:44 AM
ME TOO! in Oregon maybe we can all say what state we are in to see a pattern?we have a symantec here & i am going to call them if i get info will post here.
my trouble started 10 days ago...i got 900!emails in one day from @msn.com could not block it..then it stopped..it had an 800 ph # said if this is a mistake phone us..i didn't fall for that..
a few days later my memory got super low..only reason i am on now is Rambooster..
next day i get an email W/VIRUS from the only bidder that was unhappy in 3 years of auctions(AT FIRST I THOUGHT SHE DID THIS ON PURPOSE!(&refused money back)grr anyway it said she needed my opinion on something & there was an attachment,,(note:looked like someone wrote it that English was not their 1st language also signed see ya later ?struck me as odd)
the attachment was a bat file ??i never heard of them so i checked net..nothing then about it.it was bat.mom'stalk (found out mom's talk is a tv show)
i deleted it,& dumped trash.apparently this thing picks anything you have ie>the lady had a mom's talk downloaded..
a few minutes later thank goodness i got an email from the auctionguild.com tagnotes newsletter with a warning..they were right on it.& a link to the fix it's on their website too.!!got 2 more one in spanish,,& one at my alternate email acct i had given this lady (6mo ago)due to email problems.
i NEVER open anything,my friends won't understand this is my business,no jokes,no cartoons,no poems,never pics..they don't get it how do you stop them? i guess i have a good excuse now..thanks for the info..
posted on July 30, 2001 04:56:13 AM
by the way got an email tonight from a fellow ebay seller from canada..only thing is it was an apology for possibly giving me & 100 others on the email the virus..BUT he included an "attachment" He meant well i am sure it was for the symantec fix..but i am so leery now i deleted it..could be a virus too..the subject line said sircam virus..
if you want to apologize don't send an attachment at all,,& put a note in subject,,not the name of the virus FREAKED ME OUT LOL
posted on July 30, 2001 05:06:23 AM
What is going on!
After a virus-free weekend this morning mail took forever to receive. This virus 3 times, Snow White 2 times.
From people booting up their work computers?
This virus is worded so it makes you feel important because someone wants your advice.
posted on July 30, 2001 05:51:15 AMThe M$ dung is worse than the virii, so once you get that under control, there is little to worry about.
I agree with the part about allowing your mailer to run scripts. Disabling Active X and Java in your mailer is a darn good precaution. Your other sugestions are all good also.
But these creeps that write viruses target microslop programs because they are the most common programs installed on home computers. Very few Macintosh OS viruses floating around, but if we all run out and bought Macs, these guys would start writing Mac viruses.
Just for information, look at this:
http://www.caida.org/analysis/security/code-red/
The code-red virus was one that was NOT aimed at home users, but at ISP servers. take a look at the "real time" map that shows how quickly the thing spread all over the world.
posted on July 30, 2001 11:38:27 AM
Im a dumba**. I opened the file. Thought it was from a customer needing help. It shut down my computer. Lost everything. Can anyone tell me what I do now? Will everyone in my address book (1000s of addresses, which are now gone)get one? If so, then when? Please help!
posted on July 30, 2001 02:08:30 PM
I got this yesterday from someone with a genealogy file attached. Luckily it wasn't one of my surnames, so I wrote back asking for an explanation before I opened it. But if it had been one of my families, I may have opened it right up.
On the other hand, I went back and looked at the email (which is still in my Yahoo account) and saw that it's a .pif file. Is that what others are finding or was it just an email from someone who gives their own files weird attachments? If it's standard, that seems like a dead giveaway of something fishy.
Regardless, I have what I consider the best virus protection out there... I have a Mac. No one bothers to write virus for it because so few people have it. (So please don't take my advice and get one, that might spoil the fun .) That plus not using Outlook has kept me safe from everything but Word Macro, which is fairly harmless anyway.
posted on July 30, 2001 02:13:00 PM
Don't be hard on yourself,these guys are cunning the way they write these..many people did the same as you...not sure if it was targeted at auction people but it is just perfectly worded.
comes from a customer,needing advice..sure most sellers would open it..
People always thought i was silly,,,,insisting on them not sending me pics(they can do what i do put on a free yahoo photo album that way it is safe)I don't want jokes,animation flash cartoons,,etc..this computer is for my auction biz.Friends have no idea what happens if we cannot email our winning bidders etc.I am starting to think i haven't been silly at all.Hurts their feelings..i am going to start blocking them..after this.
One thing go to www.symantec.com there is info there..i am no computer expert but i read one important thing on there it said DO NOT JUST TRY TO DELETE THE SIRCAM FILES WITHOUT GOING BY THEIR INSTRUCTIONS FIRST..or it will be worse..good luck!
posted on July 30, 2001 02:16:29 PM
littlewingandtimber,
Don't feel bad, that's how many of us got it...thinking we were helping someone out & not having our virus software turned on.
My best advice to you is get your machine to a local technician. If it has shut down your machine..it may be a bit of a road back. Mine did the same & I ended up formatting the entire harddrive & putting on a brand new copy of windows & starting all over again.
You might also want to check w/your machine manufacturer for any help they can give.
Don't despair...it didn't email itself to ALL your addresses. It pick & chose some number of them to send itself on to but it doesn't choose all.
toyamy,
The virus can show up in virtually every format, pif, jpg, txt, xls, doc, gif, whatever it chooses to attach to.
Not having Outlook isn't the key. Several users got it from Eudora & other emails systems.
posted on July 30, 2001 02:21:11 PM
Hi, my first one was a bat file...i had never heard of that,that is what made me suspicious...the file name after that is apparently something it randomly choses from a person on your email list,then pics something from their computer...like my lady had the mom's talk.it picked that up a lot more info at symantec..all of my have been around 208k so that is something to watch for right off
Since i am not too sharp on computers i have a trick i use to keep info..for any new people out there..something important like the html for my website..addresses list,,whatever..i copy & paste them into an email...i send it from one of my email addressed to the other keeping a copy...kinda elementary..but..it works..if my computer crashes,& even one of my email accts i still have a copy..
OH MY GOSH TV NEWS SAYS INTERNET MAY BE SLOWED TOMORROW NITE not by a virus but by a WORM..check the news..what next..?? grrrr
I don't think I was clear on the file format -- it was actually .doc.pif, which seems to fit the "it attaches to anything" while also being odd.
And actually, I've never heard of anyone getting a virus from Eudora for Mac, I'd love to see how that happened. (I'm not stupid enough to rely on that assumption though, I scan my attachments before I open.)
(Spelling...)
[ edited by toyamy on Jul 30, 2001 02:25 PM ]
posted on July 31, 2001 09:14:58 PM
Rule of thumb:
Files that are directly executable are: EXE, COM, BAT, and PIF. A PIF file should NOT be over 5-600 bytes in size. *ANY* PIF file 200k+ IS A VIRUS and should be deleted. In actuality those PIF's are EXE's simply renamed. M$ junk will run a PIF even if it is EXE format. Some virii actually put their payloads into EXE's that are renamed as JPG or DAT or actually, anything. When a samll loader in another program is activated they simply rename the payload program and run it.
When in doubt: If you see a suspicious file look at the first two bytes. If they are MZ the file is an executable, and is designed as a program and not a data file like a JPG that needs a viewer.
Advice: Delete all .PIF's and any other suspicious type files by placing a line like:
DEL C:\Windows\Download\*.pif
In your autoexec.bat so they are killed at every boot up. Running NT or ME? Cant help you there. DOS is sometimes the only way to recover from many viral attacks. Unless you like reformatting.
Best Advice: Take some time to learn computers and wean yourself away from the M$ trash, which is about as low tech as it gets. For top of the line and state of the art for stability and speed, especially for a business, consider swithing to Linux. Virii are extremely rare on that platform, due to the inherent nature of its security.
posted on July 31, 2001 09:48:31 PM
Thanks very much for the info everyone,my computer brain son will think i am smart for even talking to you guys..LOL points well taken,we all need to learn..actually i have learned a lot through all this virus stuff & always do from everyone here..after three years of auctions i am getting really serious about my business & i need to know more..
what do you make of this code red deal?
Thank you
posted on July 31, 2001 10:46:02 PMfile look at the first two bytes. If they are MZ the file is an executable
I doubt most of the people here use hex editors to look at files.
Best Advice: Take some time to learn computers
Absolutly. At least learn enough to maintain them. The equivilent of knowing how to check oil, adding water to the radiator, changing a flat, etc. Knowing more is better.
consider swithing to Linux. Virii are extremely rare on that platform
I agree, but not for the reason you state. The virus writers go after getting the most machines infected as they can. It's how they get their "kicks". More wintel platforms out there than everything else put together. What one programmer can write, another can get around. If everyone went to Linux, there would be more virii floating around for that OS. A OS has to have hooks, and as long as there are hooks, someone can figure out a way to exploit them.
what do you make of this code red deal?
I'll have a better opinion when more reports come in, but from what I've seen this evening there where some servers hit. I saw one report about some servers hit in Switzerland.
I also noticed my firewall got real quite for a few hours about the time it was suppose to start spreading. I think a lot of servers cut back on unneeded traffic (like pings) so they could monitor what was going on. IMO Microsoft, and the Feds did a bang up job getting the patches out, and informing people.
It could have been a lot worse, considering what they had to do since the 19th. Writing the patches, informing as many people as possible, and distributing the fix. Considering it really is a world wide net, it could be worse.
I think they got a real break though, the worm was programmed to stop trying to spread on the 20th, and simply try to shut down the whitehouse website. (a single target) So there was 11 days for them to get a fix in place before it started to try to spread again. Next time, we may not be so lucky.
All this is just my opinion, and I'm far from being an expert. I've been playing with computers as a hobby for over 20 years, but it's just a hobby.
posted on July 31, 2001 11:41:24 PM
thank you, my son learned on a trash 80 with a tape recorder he was like 3 years old & had it talking in 10 minutes..saying hi etc..MAYBE YOU REMEMBER?
10 goto
20 ....
30 ....
40 ....
i ask kids nowadays & they don't remember that. I Had to type 10 inches of that just to change a color of text or something..& we were THRILLED it worked..(1/2 the time if you typed one little space wrong or something you'd spend 10 minutes checking each thing)Sure a lot of changes..even Mom is online now amazing..
funny thing i talked to many friends in the last 24 hours about the sircam & code red..they all say the same thing..
"Oh i don't have to worry, i only open emails,pics & download if it's sent from a friend or family member"
They would never send me a virus..
spent a lot of time explaining..they had no idea what it was...interesting..thru this a lot more people will know what is what..We all need to learn..
posted on August 1, 2001 06:09:43 AMlearned on a trash 80 with a tape recorder
Oh, does that bring back some memories!
Yep, all the "convenience" of Windows makes it easy for anyone to use a computer.
But when something happens, virtually their only option is to unplug it & carry it to the nearest technician (at $198/hour).
Knowing a few DOS commands would benefit everyone who owns a computer. Atleast in many cases, you can still get to you files & pull them off if necessary.
Many people who've grown up under "point & click" don't have a clue about DOS. But knowing it has sure saved my fanny a few times.
I spent the last week teaching my 14 year old some basic DOS commands so she won't be dead in the water & totally reliant on someone else for help.
I realize to some it's the same as "You mean there was a time when you didn't have remote controls for your TV and you had to GET UP and change the channel!" but I'll take the "old fogey" status if it means my PC is still running.
posted on August 1, 2001 06:14:51 AM
<<I remember. I remember even earlier than that... I think I first played with programming in 1974, and we used punch cards and 9 track magnetic tape.>>
Yes, yes, 1975 for me. One "computer Programming" class offered my senior year in high school.
What a mistake. Wrote programs then had to print them out on a tape with holes to turn in. X=this, Y = that. The only way I passed that class was signing up for the computer time right after the computer whiz kid did, then taking his discarded tapes out of the trash and I was able to make the one or two corrections needed to pass.
Made me hate computers so much I didn't touch one till 22 years later, in 1997.
Now I make part of my living on web site desiginign, maintaining and ebay.
posted on August 1, 2001 06:21:35 AM
I am blessed with having a hubby that actually reads and understands techy stuff.
And wonderful support from the company we bought our computers from.
Less than a week after our first computer he had to (with techie help on the phone) wipe the whole thing clean and reinstall everything.
Sometimes people know "just enough" to get them into too much trouble.
198.00 an hour? wow, not around here thank heavens. My support is $100.00 a problem, no matter what it takes.
~Not barrelracer on ebay, don't pick on them!~
posted on August 1, 2001 06:30:46 AM
The $198/hour is from my computer manufacturer who charges a bit over $3/min for any software support when the computer has been owned for more than 2 hours and 20 minutes.
And, you'll LOVE this one, when I told them I had been hit by the Sircam virus, they then claimed that it (the virus) was THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE and they were under no obligation to assist me since it wasn't factory installed.
I literally fell out of the chair I was laughing so hard at these bozo's.
Mercifully my local tekkie shop has more reasonable hourly rates.
posted on August 1, 2001 07:14:17 AM
Back in the early 90's there was some software put out on CD (I don't remember who did it) that came in shrinkwrap with a virus. Lots of people had fun with that
posted on August 1, 2001 01:20:55 PM
oh my gosh virus included no extra charge LOL,luckily that kid is now 21 & saves my life when computer blows,,he can rebuild it with a hair pin & a piece of tape..anytime..
the family said..don't let him touch the computer he is a baby..yes, a baby that read the wall st.journal..no kidding..i said..hey i bought it for him...now i am glad..
i was afraid of computers,,never touched one till 1998...now me too,,love it online..
in 1968 a gal in my office had her own airconditioned room with the HUGE computers..she did the key punch thingy only when needed about 1/2 hour a day..sat & read books,drank cokes, all day & 4 times my pay..i should known then...hmmmmm
ok how old are you guys REMEMBER UNIVAC??i think that is the name...huge...hehe
posted on August 1, 2001 04:07:31 PM
WELL I am 50,& remember seeing the UNIVAC ON Tv(yes a new thing too when i was a little girl) HUGE,,A WHOLE WALL OF METAL CABINETS FLOOR TO CEILING.found this at jeeves,,fun history there..enjoyed this thread..have a great day..
People who have used a 100 megabyte hard drive that weighed two and a quarter tons and cost more than US$130,000 in 1968 experience a special sense of wonder when tucking one of today's 2.1 gigabyte drives, just purchased for less than US$1000 and weighing less than half a kilo, into their pocket. The FASTRAND Page turns the clock back to the days when mass storage was massive.
Typical UNIVAC 1108 Prices in 1968
In 1968 you could pick up a 1.3 MHz CPU with half a megabyte of RAM and 100 megabyte hard drive for a mere US$1.6 million. Oh, and you want a printer too...?
.) That plus not using Outlook has kept me safe from everything but Word Macro, which is fairly harmless anyway.
