Worm bait?

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

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On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 10:07:18 -0400
Derek Martin <invalid at pizzashack.org> wrote:

> As is often the case in our society, no one is looking at the real
> problem.  Virtually all e-mail viruses/worms target one family of
> programs: Microsoft Outlook.  Why is Outlook so aggressively targeted?
> Because it's crap, and because its perveyors have a monopoly,
> engendering rather a lot of hate.  If you want to avoid these worms,
> you need only not use Outlook.  No other program is so aggressively
> targeted. 
Derek,
While I agree that Outlook and Outlook Express is crap, but I disagree
with your premise. The reason that "Outlook is so aggressively targeted"
is that it is the most widely installed email program. If Eudora Pro had
as wide a distribution as the Outlook family, it would be targeted. 
Additionally, the W32.Sobig.F at mm does not target Outlook. If actually
looks for email addresses in files. 

But it all comes down to stupid users running attachments. Most of these
worms have dual extensions, such as FILE.JPG.pif
Windows by default does not show extensions (and this includes most of
the email clients on Windows). So the user see the attachment as
FILE.JPG, so the user clicks on it. Instant infection. 

- -- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix user group
http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9
PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9
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