[Warty] and Evolution - sent mail going to unassigned recipients - Linz

[James Wilkinson]

Lindsay wrote:
> Is it possible I have a virus or Trojan?
> 
> I sent an email to a PC-Helpers list (for Windows users) and a bcc copy
> to a local friend, using Evolution.   A third party received this email
> which he realized wasn't for him and he contacted me immediately.
> Would you say this was a viral problem as I am using Ubuntu Linux only,
> on this PC?
> 
> I am about to download Avast anti-virus just in case, but felt I'd get a
> few opinions first.  Also, I do not know how to install Avast (which has
> a Linux version) on my Ubuntu PC, so will require so help with doing
> that after I download it via Firefox.

It's much more probable that someone on the PC-Helpers list was
infected.

If an e-mail worm relies on social engineering to get run (convincing
people that they want to open this "document", rather than using bugs in
the e-mail program), then the body of the e-mail has to look convincing.

Some recent worms, in an attempt to look plausible, send out copies of
other incoming e-mails with a copy of the worm attached. They keep the
"From" headers intact, to make it less obvious who actually has the
worm.  (That makes it harder for the recipients to warn the user with
the infection).

It's possible that the worm got stripped before it reached the third
party.

James.

-- 
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