sneaky virus

[freakygirl]

Came home from Olympia and found my email box full of emails. I stopped using Outlook express a few weeks ago because the virus problems.

But I do on occasion go check it out because a few people still haven't changed my address in their books.

In my inbox this morning there were 6 "return to sender" emails. Now I know I hadn't sent any emails from that account in awhile, my boyfriend was online this morning when I was gone. So I thought maybe he had emailed something and messed up email addies (he is so good at doing that ). I clicked on the attatchments (the original sent email, or so I thought) to see if I could find out who he was trying to email, and correct them for him.

Up popped my Mcafee virus scan.. all of those emails were infected with the Klez virus.

These virus' are getting smarter aren't they?

damn good thing my dat files are updated automaticaly every 4 hours...

 

[LukkyKnight]

The klez virus does clever things with the apparent sender's address. It's an epidemic of sorts presently.

 

[freakygirl]

This is kind of a stupid question

but if I don't have any email addies in my addy book. It can't send out any emails, correct?

 

[Spinaroonie]

Thank you Eudora for making my emailer free from such gaping holes of MS Outlook.

 

[Thumper]

Not necessarily

I just got rid of the W32.Magistr.39221@mm virus. It sends itself to addresses you have in the Netscape sent items folder.

This is the first one I have heard of that uses Netscape...I don't use Outlook for that very reason...guess Netscape mail's days are numbered too...

 

[seXieleXie]

amen sd

 

[explain]

but if I don't have any email addies in my addy book. It can't send out any emails, correct?

No, unfortunately, it'll search your recent emails, sent emails, etc. to gather email addresses. What's worse, it's now started to grab random files from your hard disk and send them out with it as attachments (infected of course.)

I got one from some business called, "BalanceLedger.xls" which contained all their employees salaries, addresses, etc. Amazing what virus' will find!

 

[freakygirl]

Thank you Eudora for making my emailer free from such gaping holes of MS Outlook.

I'll check Eudora out. thanks sd412

I've been using hotmail. Haven't had any problems until today

 

[seXieleXie]

also, if any of you are running internet explorer 5.5, be sure to get all the security patches.

 

[explain]

Friend of mine uses Pegasus Email and he loves it. Another alternative to Gate's loophole magic email programs.

 

[freakygirl]

No, unfortunately, it'll search your recent emails, sent emails, etc. to gather email addresses. What's worse, it's now started to grab random files from your hard disk and send them out with it as attachments (infected of course.)

I got one from some business called, "BalanceLedger.xls" which contained all their employees salaries, addresses, etc. Amazing what virus' will find!

Ok, first off

The minute the first one popped up. I deleted all messages. Cleaned out the inbox (all other files were empty) I closed my connection to the net. Then I ran a virus scan.

my "sent" folder and my "saved" folders are empty.. (I even clean out my "deleted" file whenever I do check OE) NO EMAILS were in there before all of this happened.

I just checked the "sent" file and nothing is there. But I suppose if it does send something out, it doesn't tell you it did. right?

 

[freakygirl]

Scan Status:

Files scanned: 13500

Files Infected: 0

Information: Scanning completed.


I'm also running McAffee Personal Firewall.. and my security patches for IE are updated (did that yesterday)



My virus scan tells me nothing is infected.. does that mean it's safe to assume nothing was sent off my computer to someone else?

 

[seXieleXie]

if your virus definitions are up to date that you can rest assured that your computer is okay

 

[explain]

I just checked the "sent" file and nothing is there. But I suppose if it does send something out, it doesn't tell you it did. right?

The virus doesn't have to use your email program to send email. All it needs is your SMTP, username/password. With those three things, I can send email from your email account.

What I have found is that once it picks up your email address to spread, it can use it as the "from" email address from someone elses machine/account. So guess what? You get the returned emails.

Neat, huh?

 

[freakygirl]

if your virus definitions are up to date that you can rest assured that your computer is okay

My computer is set up to auto update my virus scan every four hours. I just checked the log. It updated at 6am, 10am and 2 pm today. I didn't get online until after 4.

 

[explain]

Not to set fear, but McAffee SUCKS!!!

 

[freakygirl]

The virus doesn't have to use your email program to send email. All it needs is your SMTP, username/password. With those three things, I can send email from your email account.

What I have found is that once it picks up your email address to spread, it can use it as the "from" email address from someone elses machine/account. So guess what? You get the returned emails.

Neat, huh?

no not neat

Ok, it was never really on my computer. I clicked on the attachment and up popped Mcafees warning window. I clicked "delete the file" then I shut down everything.. deleted all emails (don't care who it was from LOL)

So my thinking would be.. I stopped it before it was able to get ahold of any of my info.

Where's Draco when I need him?

 

[freakygirl]

Not to set fear, but McAffee SUCKS!!!

and opinions are like assholes

we all have one


Mcafee is what came on my system.. it's done it's job. I can't say that it sucks..I won't *shrugs* You can.. You will..

 

[seXieleXie]

McAffee does not suck. it's not perfect but with viruses like klez that are on the rampage they are on top of things.

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

I use pheonx mail

I picked it up at no nags and its really cool especially for dial up users.

the first thing it does when you fetch your mail is to fetch just the headers/subject line/sender/size

then you can choose which ones you actually want and delete the rest right of your email server without ever having to take the time to download and see them.

 

[explain]

then you can choose which ones you actually want and delete the rest right of your email server without ever having to take the time to download and see them.

Quite right. Go here to log in and check your personal email account online before downloading.

 

[Spinaroonie]

amen sd

Let's make an esp! Oh shoot... Gotta go! Somethign seems to be covering my ad!

 

[Spinaroonie]

also, if any of you are running internet explorer 5.5, be sure to get all the security patches.

Or switch to the Fastest Browser on Earth, Opera or Mozilla.