TER General Board

Computer virus
greywolf 17 Reviews 5039 reads
posted

Just thought I'd alert everyone a version of the worm virus is apparently being spread.  It hit me twice today.  The second time was in an email from "Duende365"---didn't open it but couldn't delete it either.  I have no idea how it came the first time...not through any email I'm aware of, bit it showed up when I did my usual early morning test.  My virus protection system removed it both times as a part of the test.  At any rate--be aware some demented mind is at it again.

I received the Klez worm again today, (ninth time since 4/28). Once again, Norton Antivirus detected and quarantined the infected file.

If you received the Klez worm, (or another worm for that matter) it's unlikely that the sender intentionally sent it to you (or even knows that his or her computer is infected). The Klez worm randomly selects email addresses from an infected system's address book and sends itself to the next victim. I received the worm attached to a Mayo Clinic email.

Bottom line, you need to run antivirus software with up to date virus definitions. Come to think of it, I guess you should blame the sender if (s)he doesn't do this ;-)

-- Modified on 5/14/2002 7:29:23 AM

-- Modified on 5/14/2002 7:34:04 AM

Montt3151 reads

The Klez worm can also forge the email header. It is probably from someone different than what the email header says.

It also embeds itself in files that you would not expect. We are seeing it in Word docs and Excel spreadsheets. It does not have to be in an executable attachment like an .exe, .vbs, or .scr as are most viruses.

Bottom line: Use antivirus protection that is updated automatically from the web. Good ones are Norton, PCcillin, and Panda.

I always tell my clients that opening email without using current antivirus protection is like having unprotected sex with someone you don't know.......

" I always tell my clients that opening email without using current antivirus protection is like having unprotected sex with someone you don't know......."

Another point that people may not consider is that even if you clean the worm from your system, you can receive the worm again in the very next email.

I used to think that computer viruses were so overrated! Until broadband came along, the only viruses I ever saw were passed on infected floppy disks. Klez has opened my eyes. Especially if you have a cable or DSL connection, you need to run a firewall and updated antivirus software. (I prefer Norton antivirus because it does the best job of nagging you to update.) Here's another interesting PC security link that I found today. When you get to the page, check out "Shields Up" and "Leak Test" (Free)

Just a little more info about the problem---

The particular virus was listed as 1-Worm/Klez.H  To my knowledge the first of yesterday's infections didn't come from email.  AVG indicated it had infected 18 files, although they were cured without identifying them, or at least without my taking note of which ones they were.  The second infection did come from the email I mentioned & infected only the temporary internet file.

I currently have two virus protection systems, McAfee & AVG...not sure of the version of either as they are auto-updated through my PC.  This is the second time in the last year that something has slipped by McAfee but was caught & cured by AVG.

Yeah...I was perhaps a little hasty in blaming the sender of the email, because I know it can happen without the sender's knowledge.  However, this sort of thing really gets my goat & the sender was someone I don't know.  Naturally I didn't open the email...merely attempted to delete it, yet the infection still occured.

I know there are a multitude of anti-virus systems on the market, but to get them all seems like overkill.  I don't have Norton, but it seems to be very popular.  I'm disenchanted now with McAfee...would Norton be as good a choice to replace McAfee as any?  

Montt4969 reads

Plain and simple, if you run more than one AV product, chances are you will hose your system and be in for a reload. (I have done it)  Uninstall whatever you have and use Norton. It is the most popular in the US, and PCCillin is most popular in Europe.

Norton actually scans the email before it hits your mailbox.  McAffee DOES NOT. This is why I don't use it.

The reason why you got infected when you tried to delete it is because of the sucky preview pane. You just click on it and your email program helpfully opens it for you. Disable that. Try a google search on "disable preview pane" or I will write a short article on how to do it on request.

Zone alarm from zonealarm.com is also a good idea if you have broadband internet.

Geez, seems like I always post about tech! Now let me tell you about this sweet little chippie I met today.... She could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch ball! Oops - I digress.

I would have thought it was impossible to run two AV products on the same system. You need to uninstall both of them completely and then re-install the one you prefer. Like Montt, I prefer Norton Antivirus (I don't work for Symantec) NAV can be set to scan incoming and outgoing email for viruses (although I never understood why you would need to scan outgoing mail if your system was clean???)

Talk about paranoid.  I must be a PC survivalist.  (All sorts of linguistic connotations there I don't even have the space to address.)

I run McAfee on my desktop (which I rarely use) and Norton on my laptop which sits on the arm of my couch.  (Need you ask?)  I am marginally happier with Norton, although I don't know if the difference is all that great.  Since I got the laptop New Year's Day (I was waiting for a power supply for the desktop and couldn't stand not being able to access the internet) I haven't used them in parallel so I don't know how they would have responded to equivalent challanges.

When Nimda hit the news last year (and my office network - what a nightmare for the poor guys in I.T.) I disabled the preview pane in Outlook Express on the desktop and did the same to the laptop as soon as I bought it.

Despite no preview pane and updating my .dat files for Norton at LEAST once a week, I contracted Klez.G on the laptop.  Norton's FixKlez program cleaned up quite nicely so I didn't have to mess around with the registry which I hate because I don't really know what I am doing.  (A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.)

At that point, I configured Outlook Express not to "download anything which could be harmful."  I presume this means .exe, .vbs, et al.

Norton scans outbound mail as a courtesy to your friends.  To enhance that, I keep no addresses in my address book.  I keep them in a Word document and cut and paste as needed.  I also keep the My Documents folder empty so none of my files get emailed by a virus.  I have a folder named "vault."  I find Microsoft's continual usage of the personal possesive "My Computer,"  "My Documents,"  "My Grandmother's Tailfeathers" extremely annoying.

I'm still going to get infected again.  Just ask Warren Buffet.

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