E-mail from Microsoft

  • Thread starter Thread starter Charles
  • Start date Start date
C

Charles

I received email from MICROSOFT with attachment
saying "use this Internet Explorer patch now" Cannot open
attachment! Is this a phoney or have I just opened an
infected email? Charlie
 
This is phoney. Microsoft never sends out patches by email. Please delete
the message, and never open any attachments on such emails claiming to be a
patch.
 
Yes it is FAKE, this is most likely a virus. Microsoft
does not send out patches but will direct you to the
Windows Update site. The only time Microsoft will send
you a patch is if you are troubleshooting an issue with
Microsoft and they have an issue that they have a beta
patch for that has not been fully regression tested. It
sounds like you need to get some updated AV software on
your system.
 
Greetings --

What you received is either a very common malicious hoax or the
output of a computer infected by one of several wide-spread, mass
emailing worms. The two most widely-known are:

W32.Gibe_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

W32.Dumaru_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

Microsoft never has, does not currently, and never will email
unsolicited security patches. At the most, if, and only if, you
subscribe to their security notification newsletter, they will send
you an email informing you that a new patch is available for
downloading.

Microsoft Policies on Software Distribution
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/?url=/technet/security/policy/swdist.asp

Information on Bogus Microsoft Security Bulletin Emails
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/news/patch_hoax.asp

Any and all legitimate patches and updates are readily available
at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. (Notice that this is the true
URL, rather than the bogus one that may have been contained in the
email you received.) Any messages that point to any other source(s) or
claim to have the patch attached are bogus.


Bruce Chambers

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