Biological Warfare against my computer (virus)

[Kennedy 0]

OK, this sucks.

I got an e-mail from yahoo administrators that an e-mail could not be delivered. Problem? I never sent the e-mail.

I've been getting viruses that are 35K attachments for a few weeks now, but I sure as hell haven't openned any of them.

Today, I get this message:

Quote

The MaGNet WebShield SMTP V4.5 MR1a P0803.345 on virus2 detected virus W32/Netsky (ED) in attachment update.htm.scr from <my email address @yahoo.com> and it was Deleted.
This is done to prevent further distribution of the virus.

WTF ?!? I keep norton updated, I haven't downloaded anything strange, and I sure as shit haven't openned any email attachments other than pictures.

All the attachments I'm getting have this bug: ww.netsky - or something like that.

(A) How do I get rid of this?
(B) How the hell did I get it?
(C) Why didn't Norton prevent this?
(D) Why didn't http://www.housecall.antivirus.com find anything?

Thoughts?

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[PhreeZone 20]

Simple answer... you probally are not infected.

The new generation of viruses spoof the to and from addresses by using what ever info they find locally on your machine. This means someone that is infected has both you and the recepient in their computer somewhere. When the virus gets sent out from their computer and it his the mail server it gets rejected and sent back to the "from" address. Too bad its got you in the from.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[kiltboy 0]

I think it's the other person's computer that is infected and they are emailing you.
I think the email is written so that you open the attachment (trying to figure out what couldn't be delivered) and launch the virus.

At least that's what my dad did and he was pretty oblivious until I told him.
David

[Nightingale 0]

it probably wasn't your computer that sent the email in the first place.

some viruses scan through other people's address book.

for example, if Jamie's address book lists:

Kennedy
Cheryl
Jason
Mark

the virus, although it's on Jamie's computer, will send an email that looks like its from Cheryl to everyone else in Jamie's address book, and Cheryl, although her computer isn't even infected, gets emails saying "why'd you send me a virus??"

[Remster 30]

I'm not sure of your conclusion that its someone spoofing his addy.

Cant you only send yahoo mail FROM a yahoo account? If the email he got back was in deed from the Yahoo admins, then the email came from yahoo. BUT, it may just be a spoof of the admin's addy....

Remster

[Nightingale 0]

I get this all the time through hotmail...

what happens is the virus spoofs your email address.
then, the email goes to the recipient.
the recipient's mail server detects the virus and bounces the mail back to the person whose addy got spoofed.

In this case, the spoofed addy (his) and the recipient were probably both yahoo users, which is why the email came from yahoo admin.

[PhreeZone 20]

Remi.. you are WRONG (I've waited a LOOOOOOOOOONG time to say that )

I can make an email look like its coming from any address I want to. All the new viruses are spoofing email addresses. The good thing is they are getting them by scannign the infected machine to see who to mail out to. That means if you can figure out who has both your address and the to address you can get them to clean their machine.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Remster 30]

I hate it when low-intelligence life forms dont understand me

Phree: I know viruses can spoof any addy. What I said was that IF the eamil realy came from the Yahoo admin and said its an email that was sent by him, then I dont think its a spoof of his addy. Probably is a spoof of the admin addy.

Unless you can send emails though yahoo from outside of yahoo.

But anyways, I'm not the black hat that you are Erk...

Remster

[PhillyKev 0]

I'll bet if he double checks the message didn't come from the yahoo admin.

[sdgregory 0]

Hey Kennedy,

I have been getting those too for about two months now. And only on my University email. I have scanned for viruses a thousand times but there are none. As a mtter of fact I just recently wirped my drive and installed XP for the first time and the first email I got was one of those so I know it is not my system. It is annoying as hell though.

[Gawain 0]

No problem. Yahoo! has some pretty serious virus protection and my messages get scrubbed before my Norton has a chance to do anything with it.

I get messages like this from the Yahoo server all the time...attached...

Makes it a pretty lonely life for virus protection on our PC...

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Remster 30]

Yeah... Thats another reason I love have a web-based (yahoo too)email service. Prety good spam protection and virus protection....

Remster

[Kennedy 0]

Quote

I'll bet if he double checks the message didn't come from the yahoo admin.

It actually did come from yahoo admin. It was one of those message undeliverable automated replies. That was what worried me, outgoing mail I didn't send.

But the first three replies laid that worry to rest, so I'm convinced it's all good.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*