data.pif from intel@shrapnelgames.com????

Fyron · #1 January 31st, 2004, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David E. Gervais:

Edit: I'm so glad I don't use Outlook Express. I would have been infected 100 times if I did. Oh, and I keep my address book empty. I use the 'keep one e-mail from every sender in my in-box' technique of holding the addresses. This way I am not responsible for helping to spread viruses.

You can very easily disable the preview pane, and then you would not be infected at all if you just delete the email and don't open it.

narf poit chez BOOM · #2 January 31st, 2004, 06:54 AM

how can you be infected from the preview pane?

Kamog · #3 January 31st, 2004, 06:57 AM

That MyDoom virus is nasty. One of my coworkers got it from an email a few days ago. He opened the message which had as its subject "Hi" and there was just a "document.pif" attachment which he opened. Then a couple of other people got infected Messages from him, at which point the infection was discovered. The computer administrator spent an hour cleaning up and fixing the infected machine.

Krsqk · #4 January 31st, 2004, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
how can you be infected from the preview pane?

If the message has HTML or JavaScript which dl's/triggers/activates/opens/whatever a virus or an attachment, the preview pane will execute that code when the message is selected. Yet another great idea ruined by short sight and shorter production deadlines at M$.

I think most people would rather risk viruses than have to double-click on their Messages to open them--after all, that's double the effort!

narf poit chez BOOM · #5 January 31st, 2004, 07:32 AM

well, java is disabled for mail and newsGroups, don't know about html.

i'm using netscape, don't know if you can do that in ie.

narf poit chez BOOM · #6 January 31st, 2004, 07:45 AM

i got a weird email. how do you scan email for viruses in netscape?

DavidG · #7 January 31st, 2004, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kamog:
That MyDoom virus is nasty. One of my coworkers got it from an email a few days ago. He opened the message which had as its subject "Hi" and there was just a "document.pif" attachment which he opened.

My god why oh why do people do this!? I would have thought that by know most would know not to open attachements from supicious e-mails with extensions like .pif

BTW the MyDoom Virus fakes the "From" line (as do many viruses I think) so the message David mentioned was not from Shrapnel. Also don't think you can get MyDoom just from the preview panel.

Actually are there any known viruses you can get from the preview pane? I know it is a theoretical possiblity but has it been done yet.