tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Dec 08 16:32:07 1994
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Re: FWD>>>>>>RE- e-mail alert...
- From: Goran Topic <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: FWD>>>>>>RE- e-mail alert...
- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 94 1:31:05 MET
- Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85]
> >I don't want to discourage anyone "being careful" (YES, BE CAREFUL;
> >BACKUP SOFTWARE, RUN VIRUS CHECKERS, KNOW WHERE SOFTWARE COMES >FROM
> >AND *DON'T* PIRATE ), but REALLY! While I can imagine how a virus
> >could be distributed within email *HOW* on earth (okay, Qo'noS) is
> >this warning plausible. Is it a Unix Virus? (which Unix?) Dos?
> >Amiga? Mac?
> >
> >This smells like an urban legend of sorts....
>
> No, Joel, it's a true story. The virus originated on America On-Line.
> There's a feature of AOL, which allows members to send files back and forth
> to each other. If there's a file attached to an e-mail message, you can
> download it with the click of a button. Now, here's the fun part. AOL
> recently upgraded its software, and there's a new feature with which you can
> schedule automatic logons to read mail and, you guessed it, download files.
> So, sets the environment for a playful virus to cut loose. My understanding
> is that the virus would attempt to erase the hard drive; I don't know about
> how effective virus scanners, etc., are (I'm not saying they're not
> effective, I just don't know what they'd do with this particular one).
>
> --Holtej
Look, I can think of one way for such a destructive activity to actually
occur: imagine this sequence:
<esc>[97;13;"echo y|format c:/q/u";13p
If inserted in e-mail message, and displayed on stdin on PC with ANSI.SYS
installed, it redefines the 'a' key to erase the hard disk if you press
it while in DOS. It is not an executable. It only needs to be displayed
in a certain way.
BTW, I have to leave the list. I have *UGH* tons of mail every day and I
just CAN'T read tlhIngan Hol any more. So, reply to me personally, and
Qapla' qoranvo'
--
Learn languages! The more langs you know, the more incomprehensible you can get
e'udoCILreleiBANgu.izo'ozo'onairoBANguteDJUnobedocubanRI'a.ailekadonaka'eSELjmi