Does preview open?

[David Cornelius]

A client asked me a question regarding a scheme she uses to help protect
herself from potential viruses that I'm uncertain about. She uses the
preview pane so she doesn't have to "open" a message from someone she
doesn't know. If it looks like spam, she deletes it immediately.

My question is: Does the preview pane open the message? Or would viruses
attack the moment it hits Outlook without even being previewed or opened?

I know in Outlook Express, you can right-click the message and view details
to see the plain-text version of the message before actually opening it, but
I don't think Outlook is doing this.

(She's using a stand-alone computer using POP3 email addresses--no Exchange
Server involved).


Thanks.

 

[Ben M. Schorr - MVP]

What version of Outlook? 2003 with the latest patches is much safer.


--
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Ben M. Schorr, OneNote-MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
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Microsoft OneNote FAQ: http://www.factplace.com/onenotefaq.htm

**I apologize but I am unable to respond to direct requests for assistance.
Please post questions and replies here in the newsgroup. Mahalo!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Depends on your Outlook version and if you have applied all the updates.
Outlook 2002 and 2003 are secure by default for any Preview/Reading Pane
attacks. For the other versions there are updates available. No code
execution can take place when messages are viewed in the Reading Pane. You
will of course open the email or you wouldn't be able to read it ;-)

Also note that Outlook blocks access to files that can be directly executed.
Without manual intervention it is NOT possible to get infected by malicious
e-mails.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-FREE tool; QuickMail. Create new Outlook items anywhere from within Windows
-Properly back-up and restore your Outlook data

-----
A client asked me a question regarding a scheme she uses to help protect
herself from potential viruses that I'm uncertain about. She uses the
preview pane so she doesn't have to "open" a message from someone she
doesn't know. If it looks like spam, she deletes it immediately.

My question is: Does the preview pane open the message? Or would viruses
attack the moment it hits Outlook without even being previewed or opened?

I know in Outlook Express, you can right-click the message and view details
to see the plain-text version of the message before actually opening it, but
I don't think Outlook is doing this.

(She's using a stand-alone computer using POP3 email addresses--no Exchange
Server involved).


Thanks.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Version of Outlook? It makes a huge difference - also the service pack level
in both Outlook and Windows is important.

In most cases, unless she has Outlook 98 or configured the browser for
really low security levels, she is just as safe using preview as you are
using view source. In fact, if you have the latest version of OE, view
source is probably overkill - use the preview and save time - or set it to
read all in plain text if you are worried.

http://www.slipstick.com/emo/2004/up040204.htm#preview

 

[David Cornelius]

Thank you to all three of you! I have asked about the version from my
client and will make sure her computer has the latest security patches. The
reason I was unsure of the level of the problem was because of horror
stories in years past where the entire email server and several users' PCs
could be bitten by a nasty virus--sometimes even when people didn't open
their mail. I'm glad to hear Outlook has improved so much.

One reason I still use the "view source" feature in OE is because I like to
see HTML emails in HTML format (with pictures) but I don't want to open
emails in this format from people I don't know. If it's a spammer wondering
if they got a valid email address and I open the HTML email that has an IMG
with its source parameter pointing to the spammer's web server, then they
know that email was opened at my internet address. I don't want to give
that information.

Anyway, thanks again for everyone's input!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Outlook 2003 by secure default also blocks images there are being retrieved
from the web so there is no need to look at the source first.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-FREE tool; QuickMail. Create new Outlook items anywhere from within Windows
-Properly back-up and restore your Outlook data

 

[David Cornelius]

Outlook 2003 by secure default also blocks images there are being
retrieved from the web so there is no need to look at the source
first.

True, but I was referring to Outlook Express, which does not block images in
HTML messages.