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

[Mike Vanecek <nospam99@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 05 May 2000 18:01:50 +0100, Dom Latter <d.latter@xxxxxxx> wrote:

:>Mike Vanecek 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
:>
:>There's a *lot* of MS specific issues here:
:>- It runs on MS OSes.  Okay, other platforms have viruses, too..

OK. Same problem could occur under OS/2.
.
:>- It uses Outlook's address book to propagate itself

OK, but that is not the only damage that it does. And to do so, it has to be
executed. The damage that is does is serious even if it is not propagated.

:>- Outlook *I believe* will automatically run a vbscript when you view it 
:>  in a preview window, and certainly doesn't give you the "Yo Bozo, do you 
:>  really want to run random code somebody has sent you?" dialog

Not true unless one has a version that has not been updated since the last
email scare. Fact is, none of my W2K apps will open or run a vbscript without
asking.

:> it should
:>- Microsoft's brilliant idea of hiding file extensions meant that to the 
:>  naive user it looked like a .TXT file attached, not a script.

Change the configuration. My file extensions are not hidden.

:>I'm happy to stand corrected on the above.

The important issue is that one should never open / execute an attachment or
file unless the attachment or file has been deemed safe. You don't open the
lid, then hope will not fly away.