Re: Good Idea?

From: Reece Arnott (reece.arnott@dropmemail.com)
Date: 10/20/01 

Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.20011020173147.00d9a170@studentmail.otago.ac.nz>
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 17:31:47 +1300
To: security-basics@securityfocus.com
From: "Reece Arnott" <reece.arnott@dropmemail.com>
Subject: Re: Good Idea?

At 13:40 17/10/01 -0400, you wrote:
>Subject: Good Idea

>Now, here's what you've done and why it works: the "name" !000 will be
>placed at the top of your address book as entry #1. This will be where the
>worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. But when it
>tries to send itself to !000, it will be undeliverable because of the phony
>email address you entered (WormAlert). If the first attempt fails (which it
>will because of the phony address), the worm goes no further and your
>friends will not be infected.

Sorry this doesn't work, or at least not as advertiesed.

See the relevant articles in
http://www.woodyswatch.com/office/archtemplate.asp?v6-n40
http://www.woodyswatch.com/office/archtemplate.asp?v6-n42

1. The worm may or may not start at the first contact, it could take them
at random.

2. The worm may or may not (probably not) care whether the email addresses
it is sending to are valid.

>Here's the second great advantage of this method: if an email cannot be
>delivered, you will be notified of this in your InBox almost immediately.
>Hence, if you ever get an email telling you that an email addressed to
>WormAlert could not be delivered, you know right away that you have the worm
>virus in your system. You can then take steps to get rid of it!

This part is probably true, unfortuately this is like saying that the horse
has escaped from the barn, you can now close the the door. If the worm
doesn't use that email address but just picks some at random you still only
know through conventional means, and these means are generally enough.

-------------------------
Reece Arnott
Flat 1, 74 Forth Street
Dunedin
New Zealand

+64 3 4774007

reece.arnott@dropmemail.com
-------------------------

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Relevant Pages

  • RE: Good Idea?
    ... when/if a worm virus gets into your computer it heads ... worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. ... email address you entered (WormAlert). ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: Good Idea?
    ... when/if a worm virus gets into your ... > thus infecting all your friends and associates. ... > worm has gotten into your system. ... > email address you entered (WormAlert). ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • RE: Good Idea?
    ... when/if a worm virus gets into your computer it heads ... worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. ... email address you entered (WormAlert). ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • Re: Good Idea?
    ... > virus from getting into your computer, but it will stop it from using your ... > worm has gotten into your system. ... > worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. ... > email address you entered (WormAlert). ...
    (Security-Basics)
  • RE: Good Idea?
    ... Many viruses don't begin with the first entry ... when/if a worm virus gets into your computer it heads ... worm will start in an effort to send itself to all your friends. ... email address you entered (WormAlert). ...
    (Security-Basics)