Re: [aclug-L] Snap:News & Media:Top Stories:Mutating E-Mail Virus

[Jeff <schaller@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 1 Apr 1999, Clint A. Brubakken wrote:

> > Well, ok, yes. It also affects "office 2000". I assumed that most people
> > using Windows to read email would be using Outlook.  The upshot is that if
> 
> I try not to understand the average Windows user, it makes my brain hurt.

Agreed :)
The above is what I culled from various lists & announcements (and an
assumption re: windoze users & outlook, as I've never tried to read email
on a windows machine (well, maybe I telnetted to my account once)).


> So If I understand the code correctly, all it does is try to infect
> everyone, and print a message once a mounth? Or is there something
> maliscious there I don't understand, because I don't now Word Basic. 

If the code _runs_ when the current day == the current minute (chance is
roughly 30 / 60 (roughly 30 days in a month, 60 minutes in an hour)), then
it inserts that text in the current document.

The code also doesn't run the e-mail part if the registry key matches a
certain condition.  (Once you're infected, the mass-mailing will happen
once (unless you disinfect & get reinfected)).  Again, this is all from my
understanding of the situation (I'm neither a VB programmer nor a Windows
user).


> Dos attacks? I got into the computer game kinda late, what exactly is
> that?

DOS -- Denial Of Service (using non-root abilities to hammer a machine or
network).

-jeff
----
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