Is Microsoft spamming with virus attachments?

[Sheila Hoffman]

I can't quite believe this... Today I received two emails that LOOK like
they're from Microsoft. They have their logo and say copyright Microsoft and
have links to microsoft.com. However the email addresses they're from don't
look like MS and they came with attachments for "fixes" that were blocked by
NAV as being worms! What's going on here? I'm confused....

Sheila

 

[Bryan O'Malley]

THIS IS A VIRUS -- DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT

If you look closely, the e-mail does not come from microsoft.com, it
comes from ms.com. Microsoft has also emphatically stated in the past that
they do not e-mail windows updates. Symentec's AntiVirus team has
confirmed for me that the attachment is infected with the W32.Swen.A@mm
virus. You can read more about this virus at:

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

For your safety, please delete the e-mail immediately when you receive
it.

Bryan

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

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

W32.Swen.A_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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