Re: [cobalt-users] New email worm / virus.

["Robert G. Fisher" <rfisher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, May 05, 2000 at 10:16:51AM -0700, Jeff Lasman wrote:
> > If I read the notice on it correctly, it is not a MS issue, it is executing
> > an attachment issue. All mail readers are at risk if attachments are
> > executed. Norton has already updated there virus list. This one looks like a
> > variation of other vbs types of bugs.
> 
> And what other clients besides those from Microsoft automatically
> execute VB script without asking permission?  I consider this a
> Microsoft issue.

My copies of Outlook 2000 and Outlook Express 5 did not open the
attachment automatically.  There was an issue earlier with the
MIME buffer overflow -- where some people used a procmail recipie
to 'fix' this since although it was a client issue, it was too 
late by the time it got to the client.

But to at least /try/ to keep this on topic.  Does anyone know of
a virus scanner that runs on the linux-mips platform?  I'm looking
into trying to see about installing either F-Prot, Sophos, McAffee,
or similiar system on a RedHat (GNU/Linux for the purists, sorry,
took a break this morning to read a RMS interview :).  

Idea is that virus checking is a good thing.  Virus checking needs
to be done intelligibly.  Unfortunately, users can not be trusted
to scan each and every file they recieve either due to being unaware
or more worried about the time delay than potential problems.  Virus
checking can be automated.  SysAdmins tend to have a better
understanding of automating those scans...Which leads me to think
that if you setup a scanner on your machine, you can save yourself
at least some headaches so long as the virus scanner doesn't introduce
new security holes or devour more resources than you can afford to
throw at it and the normal process of mail delivery.

-- 
Robert G. Fisher		     NEOCOM Microspecialists Inc. 
System Administrator/Programmer      (540) 666-9533 x 116