Virus in Yahoo Clubs

[13788]

jackinman: Hello guys and gals, I know that this topic should be in the Administrative Issues thread but I figure more members will read it here. So please don't jump all over me.

Over the last few days I've been receiving many e-mails at my Yahoo account with the following subject matters: " Your application, My Details, Your Details, Details, That Movie, Thank You, Approved, and Wicked Screensaver".
When you check your e-mails on your Yahoo account and you see any e-mails with these subject matters, delete them in a hurry. They are viruses. I've received a few of these e-mails with the names of some of the members on this board. So please be careful when opening any e-mails over on Yahoo.

 

[13788]

SimplyHung: The best advice to avoid email viruses: Delete any from addresses you don't recognize!

 

[13788]

awellhungboi: Funny you'd be getting the 'So big' virus from the LPSG!

Seriously, though, you guys are right--everybody be careful with your email! Even if you get an email from someone you know, check with them before opening any attachments.

 

[13788]

Ineligible: That's not enough, because many viruses will appear to come either from friends who are infected, or from friends who have an infected friend.

 

[13788]

SimplyHung: [quote author=Ineligible link=board=meetgreet;num=1061590718;start=0#3 date=08/22/03 at 16:07:07]That's not enough, because many viruses will appear to come either from friends who are infected, or from friends who have an infected friend.[/quote]

True, I forgot about that. I check over the previous addresses that it's come from before opening any attachments. I can tell by those and the shortcut names put with them whether it's legit or not.

 

[13788]

digibacker: [quote author=SimplyHung link=board=meetgreet;num=1061590718;start=0#1 date=08/22/03 at 15:28:45]The best advice to avoid email viruses: Delete any from addresses you don't recognize![/quote]

This doesn't always help, though. The newer viruses "spoof" the "From:" address to hide their origins. You may get a message that appears to be from someone you know, but was actually from one of their other acquaintances.

Another quirky problem sometimes occurs when you have been the target of the spoof (e.g. your address was used as the "From:" address in a message sent to someone else). In some circumstances, the viral message gets bounced or blocked by the intended victim's ISP, sending an error report to you as the spoofed sender. The subject will be something like, "Delivery Failure," "Message Refused," etc. The problem is, the ISP may actually echo back the entire message to you, including the virus. When you check these to see why a message (you thought) you sent got bounced, wham -- you've now gotten the virus.

I actually got a number of these in Wednesday's wave of "So.big" infections. Fortunately I was spared by what is really the BEST way to avoid viruses -- DON'T USE OUTLOOK or any other HTML-based e-mail viewer. I use an old, plain-text version of Eudora and have never been hit by a virus yet.

 

[jonb]

Scan all emails before opening them. Duhh...

 

[13788]

Ineligible: Another thing to watch is the extension on the attachments (make sure your system shows them). Any executable attachments are suspect. Viruses particularly like to use the .pif and .scr extensions, because people often don't realise they can be executable. (The .scr extension looks like a screensaver, but they can be "scrap" files, that can contain anything.) Viruses sometimes try to confuse the extension by using a double one, like "text.txt.pif" - only the last matters.

 

[13788]

Ineligible: Now, though, jonb, new email viruses are propagating so quickly that unless you're on a system that updates anti-virus files hourly, you could easily get an infected email before your anti-virus software knows it.

 

[Pecker]

I've received 66 potential 'SoBig' e-mails in my yahoo e-mail today alone.

Not only am I not opening anything that looks suspicious but, until this mad wave of mailings passes, if I see one suspicious message, I delete all the messages in the box just in case.

Once a subscriber has been infected, his/her address book is opened and the virus is sent on to those addresses, etc. etc. etc. It's an insidious multiplicator.

But I agree with Monstro. It's ironic for members of LPSG to be getting the SoBig virus.

Pecker

(We Used to Kiss On the Lips But It's All Over Now)

 

[jonb]

[quote author=Ineligible link=board=meetgreet;num=1061590718;start=0#8 date=08/22/03 at 16:34:14]Now, though, jonb, new email viruses are propagating so quickly that unless you're on a system that updates anti-virus files hourly, you could easily get an infected email before your anti-virus software knows it.[/quote]
Which is why I use a Mac; most new viruses are Wintendo-only.

 

[13788]

sammygirly: I had this virus - check out the link I put in the Admin section for the current patches for protection.