Roadsmith
|
posted on September 20, 2003 05:27:55 PM new
This came today: "E-mail: Latest Net Patch, MS Security Corporation Center"
Looks very official, spelling fine, all the bells and whistles including links to MS sites. I'm skittish these days and don't want to click on anything until I hear that someone has and nothing bad happened.
___________________________________
SMILE ANYWAY!
|
fenix03
|
posted on September 20, 2003 05:45:19 PM new
Microsoft will NEVER email you a patch. If they do inform you of a patch, they send you a link to their website for you to download it from there.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Men Are Like Grapes. If You Stomp on Them and Keep Them in the Dark Long Enough, They Might Turn Into Something That You Would Take to Dinner
|
ohmslucy
|
posted on September 20, 2003 06:03:16 PM new
It's not legit.
As Fenix says, Microsoft will never email you a patch.
I read something about it this morning in the news. Sorry, can't find the article.
Lucy
Watch the donut, not the hole.
|
fluffythewondercat
|
posted on September 20, 2003 06:51:04 PM new
How would Microsoft know the email addresses of all Windows users?
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
|
toasted36
|
posted on September 20, 2003 07:02:54 PM new
I got it too Roadsmith 2 days in a row...deleted the first day ...said hmmm the second day so I hit the start bar ,windows update all the way the top and scanned for up dates .Nuttin no up dates so I deleted the second one.Scam for sure
|
horsey88
|
posted on September 20, 2003 07:27:48 PM new
Yep...It's the latest patch from Microsoft Romania. If you don't run the update you wouldn't be able to qualify for the free SUV or Cadillac from Ebay nor will you be able to retrieve your Orange Fidelity Star.
Crap does not always come from the source it says it does. Maybe sometime you might try reading your emails with the headers on.
|
Roadsmith
|
posted on September 20, 2003 08:14:17 PM new
There were several links--that's why it didn't particularly look like a scam.
Horsey: What did you mean here? "Maybe sometime you might try reading your emails with
the headers on."
___________________________________
SMILE ANYWAY!
|
Libra63
|
posted on September 20, 2003 08:29:04 PM new
got it! Deleted it....
|
sparkz
|
posted on September 20, 2003 08:34:46 PM new
It was on the news yesterday. It's the "Swen" worm. It comes disguised as a Microsoft security update. It exploits a vunerability in MSIE. The patch for the vunerability has been around for some time, but if it is not installed, you can get the worm just by opening the email. If you have the patch, you can still get it by downloading the attachment. The full story is on Yahoo as well as on Microsoft's site.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
|
fluffythewondercat
|
posted on September 20, 2003 10:16:02 PM new
"Maybe sometime you might try reading your emails with the headers on."
I think he meant just what he said.
To understand email, you have to understand that there are two different types of email programs:
1) Mail User Agent - i.e. Outlook Express, Eudora, Netscape Mail...it's the front end you use to read your mail.
2) Mail Transport Agent - i.e. Sendmail, Exim (in Linux)...does the behind-the-scenes work of moving email from one server to the next.
The MTA processes "mark" each piece of mail at the top of the email with server name and other info as the mail is passed from server to server. This information is invisible to most people because they don't have their MUA configured to show it.
horsey is suggesting that you change your Outlook (or whatever) configuration to display full headers...which in this case would have shown you that the mail did not originate from Microsoft.
Perhaps someone who uses Outlook on their PC will explain how to do it.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
|
AuctionAce
|
posted on September 20, 2003 11:11:56 PM new
I think these hackers are clever and have a good sense of timing with all the publicity over viruses. Many computer users may actually think the 'security patch' in the form of a virus is godsend.
-------------- sig file ----------- Most costume jewelry is unsigned. After all, the vast majority of it was made to be worn a few times, then discarded. It wasn't made to be durable. --- The Fluffster
|
Roadsmith
|
posted on September 20, 2003 11:16:14 PM new
Fluffy: Thanks for that information! I certainly don't use that feature and am glad to know it's there.
___________________________________
SMILE ANYWAY!
|
