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02/05/2004 Entry: "MyDoom virus"
Mac users can't get the MyDoom virus, right?
Right.
So how come I've been getting messages accusing me of passing it on? The answer came today.
Of course, the worm can only affect Windows machines, but because of the way it behaves Mac users may soon find their inboxes filling with emails returned as undeliverable from unrecognised addresses.Great! So even though I've got a Mac and some up-to-date anti-virus software I can still be affected by this blessed thing.
The worm harvests email addresses from a PC user's hard disk and then generatees randomly-chosen addresses for both the 'to' and 'from' fields. This means that the 'from' address is spoofed and does not tell the next victim where the mail came from. If - as is almost certain - a Windows user has your email address in their address book then you could be affected.
Ain't life grand?
Replies: 3 comments
Hey...I have been having the same problem. Thanks for the info!
Is this thing ever going away?
Posted by Brett @ 02/05/2004 09:53 PM GMT
Yep, happened to me too. I even got a complaint from someone accusing me of sending it. I asked said person to send me the Internet headers (View->Options in Outlook Express) so that I could trace the real sending machine and warn the user; no response. Ho Hum!
Posted by Greg @ 02/06/2004 09:39 AM GMT
Assuming that the messages you're getting aren't from Real Humans, this is all down to the poor way that a lot of virus checkers are designed. I haven't come across a virus for ages which has actually been sent from the person whose address appears in the From: bit of the email.
So why do virus checkers insist in bouncing emails back to innocent parties? No, me neither.
Posted by Rhys @ 02/06/2004 11:43 AM GMT
