Re: UKNM: this may be a false alarm, but....

[Duncan Macmillan]

It's not (as far as we can work out) technically possible to scrub your hard

drive just by opening an email.  It would be possible to include an HTML file (a

web page) in an email that worked in a frameset, which called a child frame from

another site which called a frame which called a frame ... forming a loop that

crashes your computer.  But that's a risk that goes with viewing any web page.


Of course, you can attach a virus to an email, but you'd have to open the

executable yourself.


Dom wrote:


> I would hate to hear of any disasters, so here's the forward...

>

> I am not sure even if the claims below are technically possible (call to the

> techies!?) and apologies to anyone who this may offend - but better to be

> safe than sorry, eh?

>

> i just thought, wouldnt an alert such as this be a great way of distributing

> a virus?

>

> >

> >Subject: Fw: Virus notice . Be alert.

> >

> >FYI,VIRUS  WARNING !!!!!!If you receive an email titled "WIN A HOLIDAY"

> >DO NOT open it.It will erase everything on your hard drive. Forward

> >this letter out to as many people as you can. This is a new, very

> >malicious virus and not many people know about it. This information was

> >announced yesterday morning from Microsoft; please share it with

> >everyone that might access the internet.  Once again, pass this along to

> >EVERYONE in our address book so that this may be stopped. Also, do not

> >open or even look at any mail that says "RETURNED OR UNABLE TO DELIVER"

> >This virus will attach itself to your computer components and render

> >them useless.

> >Immediately delete any mail items that say this. AOL has said that this

> >is a very dangerous virus and that there is NO remedy for it at this

> >time. Please practice cautionary measures and forward this to all your

> >online friends = ASAP.


--

Duncan Macmillan

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