Greetings --
If you attempted to open or run any email attachments claiming to
be security patches, you've quite likely installed one or more
viruses. You'll definitely need to obtain and install a good
anti-virus application. (I'm confident you don't already have one
installed because nothing warned you that what you were doing was very
risky.) In the meantime, use one or more of these free on-line
scanners to access the extent of the damage:
Trend Micro - Free online virus Scan
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/
McAfee Security - FreeScan
http://www.mcafee.com/myapps/mfs/default.asp
Symantec Security Check
http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp
What you received is the output of a computer infected by one of
several widely publicized, wide-spread, mass emailing worms. The
virus' authors have deliberately spoofed the Microsoft information in
the hopes of garnering more victims. This sort of email has been
quite common for at least the past 9 months. The most widely-known
are:
W32.Swen.A_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]
W32.Dumaru_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]
W32.Gibe_mm
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]
Trojan.Xombe
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.xombe.html
Microsoft never has, does not currently, and very probably 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
How to Tell If a Microsoft Security-Related Message Is Genuine
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/authenticate_mail.asp
Remember, any and all legitimate patches and updates are readily
available at
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. You should develop
the habit of checking this site at least once a month to keep your
computer up-to-date. (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.
You're receiving these emails because your email address is in
the address book of someone infected with a worm, and/or because you
posted your real email address somewhere on-line, either in a forum
accessible to the public and spambots, such as Usenet, or on an
untrustworthy web site that subsequently sold your address as part of
a mailing list. One thing you can do is notify _everyone_ with whom
you've ever corresponded via email that one or more of them may be
infected with a mass emailing worm, and should take the appropriate
steps.
Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:
You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
