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

David E. Gervais · #1 January 30th, 2004, 11:59 PM

I just got an e-mail from intel@shrapnelgames.com that had no subject heading and no message. All that the e-mail had was a data.pif attachment.

I'm not going to run or open this attachment unless I find out that it is not a virus. If it is I suspect that someone is trying to give a bad rep to shrapnelgames.

So whom should I notify about this e-mail?

Cheers!

Edit: my my my, a quick virus scan and I find that the data.pif contains the WORM MYDOOM.a virus.

yes indeed, I think someone is trying to give shrapnelgames a bad rep. I seriously doubt that they sent the virus, but I have no way to trace the e-mail so I unfortunately cannot help find the evil vile scumm that sent the e-mail.

Oh well, another virus that failed to pass my common sense protection scheme.

Cheers, again.

[ January 30, 2004, 22:06: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

Suicide Junkie · #2 January 31st, 2004, 12:02 AM

Actually, it sounds more like some random player who has intel@shrapnelgames.com in their address book, who got a virus.

David E. Gervais · #3 January 31st, 2004, 12:07 AM

you're probably right SJ, so if any of you have my sympatico e-mail address in your address book, please scan your systems for viruses.

Cheers!

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.

[ January 30, 2004, 22:14: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

minipol · #4 January 31st, 2004, 03:22 AM

I have Debian Gnu/Linux setup as email server. With Spamassassin and clamav for cleaning out spam and virusses. Works like a charm and i don't need to worry about those pesky bugs. Anyway, there are always going to be people who open such an email.

Ed Kolis · #5 January 31st, 2004, 05:07 AM

I think I have a virus because I keep getting returned emails from random places I've never heard of... unfortunately no virus scanner I've tried has been able to find the problem yet...

Phoenix-D · #6 January 31st, 2004, 05:10 AM

Some (all, in my case) of those random return emails ARE viruses.

Fyron · #7 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 · #8 January 31st, 2004, 06:54 AM

how can you be infected from the preview pane?

Kamog · #9 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 · #10 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!