Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 01:55:01 -0500
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Sender: The Internet TourBus - A virtual tour of cyberspace
Comments: Resent-From: crispen@netsquirrel.com
Comments: Originally-From: Patrick Douglas Crispen
From: Patrick Douglas Crispen
Subject: TOURBUS -- 12 JUNE 1999 -- WORM.EXPLOREZIP VIRUS
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\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
Free Subscription Info and Archives at http://www.TOURBUS.com
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S):
Worm.ExploreZip Virus
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESSES:
http://www.microsoft.com/misc/data/emailvirusalert.htm
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-99-06-explorezip.html
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2274574,00.html
Howdy, y'all, and greetings from sunny Alabama! I apologize for the
tardiness of today's TOURBUS post. One of the reasons for this delay
is that I needed some extra time to investigate the "Worm.ExploreZip"
virus that popped up on Thursday. We'll talk about Worm.ExploreZip,
including what you need to know to protect yourself from it, in a few
moments.
Before we get to that, though, let's take care of some business.
TOURBUS remains free thanks to the kind support of our sponsors. I
want to thank the folks at "Golden Palace," "eRock," and
"CyberBaskets" for making today's post possible. As always, please
visit our wonderful sponsors and thank them for keeping the bus
rolling!
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don't just sit there...come take a look at this fun new auction site.
* * * * Registration on eRock is quick...simple...and...FREE! * * * *
+------------------- http://www.eRock.net/index2.html ---------------+
+===================== Daddy, Papa, Gramps... =====================+
No matter what you call him, he's the special man in your life.
Let him know how much you care. Send something special this
Father's Day! Shop at CyberBaskets or CyberCucina.
+---- http://www.cyberbaskets.com and http://www.cybercucina.com ----+
On with the show ...
---------------
Worm.ExploreZip
---------------
By now, you have probably heard about the "Worm.ExploreZip" virus.
According to Microsoft,
[t]he virus is contained in a file attached to an e-mail. The e-
mail message may appear as if it is from an acquaintance and will
contain the following text:
Hi
I received your email and I shall send you a reply ASAP.
Till then, take a look at the attached zipped docs.
Bye.
The attachment to this message is an executable file named
"zipped_files.exe".
[quote borrowed from the nice folks at
http://www.microsoft.com/misc/data/emailvirusalert.htm ]
If you execute the "zipped_files.exe" file, it will do some nasty
things to your computer ... like erase all of your Microsoft Word and
PowerPoint files, and even propagate itself by sending email with the
infected "zipped_files.exe" file to a number of recipients.
Who is vulnerable? According to the Computer Emergency Response Team
(CERT) at Carnegie Mellon University, this virus affects everyone who
uses Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT. You can read CERT's
advisory on this virus (CERT calls it a Trojan Horse, everyone else
calls it a worm virus) at
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-99-06-explorezip.html .
ZDNN reports that some Mac users may also be vulnerable. According to
Carey Nachenberg, chief researcher at Symantec Corp.'s AntiVirus
Research Center, Macs must meet a narrow set of criteria to be
vulnerable to the computer virus:
A Mac must be connected to an infected Windows computer
over a file-sharing network, he said, or the malicious e-mail
file must have been opened through a PC-emulation program.
In addition, he said, the names of the vulnerable Mac files must
bear Windows-compatible file-name extensions, such as .doc, .ppt,
.hsm, .xls and others.
[for the full story, read "Macs can contract ExploreZip, too!" at
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2274574,00.html ]
Regardless of your operating system, how can you protect yourself from
the Worm.ExploreZip virus (and from the tens of thousand of other
viruses out there)? Well ...
1. BREATHE! This really isn't as bad as you might think (or as
the media would have you believe).
2. UPDATE YOUR VIRUS DEFINITIONS IMMEDIATELY, AND CONTINUE TO
UPDATE YOUR VIRUS DEFINITIONS ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE (AT LEAST
ONCE A WEEK). Every major antivirus software manufacturer has
released a virus update that recognizes and removes the
Worm.ExploreZip virus. If you are unsure of how to update
your virus definitions, visit the homepage of your antivirus
software manufacturer (you can find a complete list of most of
these manufacturers at http://www.yahoo.com/ -- AOL users can
find more information by visiting keyword "virus").
If you don't have an antivirus program installed on your
computer, STOP READING THIS EMAIL, get into your car, drive to
Wal Mart (or your local software store), and buy yourself the
latest copy of Norton AntiVirus.
3. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER (ARE YOU STARTING TO SEE A PATTERN
HERE?), NEVER EVER DOUBLE-CLICK (OR LAUNCH) *ANY* FILE,
ESPECIALLY AN EMAIL ATTACHMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE FILE IS
FROM, UNTIL YOU FIRST SCAN THAT FILE WITH YOUR ANTIVIRUS
PROGRAM.
To survive in this digital age, you have to treat all computer
files downloaded from the Net, and especially all files
attached to email letters, as the digital equivalent of letter
bombs. Open one without first verifying its contents, and you
will die.
... well, your computer will die. You get the point. :)
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S):
Worm.ExploreZip
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESSES:
http://www.microsoft.com/misc/data/emailvirusalert.htm
http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-99-06-explorezip.html
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2274574,00.html
---------------------------------
TODAY'S SOUTHERN WORD OF THE WEEK
---------------------------------
LOO-VER (Noun). A museum in Paris.
Usage: "I went to that 'Hall of Reubins' in that Loo-ver museum in
Paris, but didn't see a single sandwich anywhere!"
[Special thanks to Ollis Miller for today's wurd]
You can find all of the old Southern Words of the day at
http://netsquirrel.com/crispen/word.html
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(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
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