Beyond the question of who opened what with what....

This virus affects /only/ users of Microsoft Outlook who /have not
applied the vendor patch from (what appears to be) June 7,
2000/. Folks, we are security professionals here. If a vendor supplies
a security patch, why would we not apply it? (Of course, we could have
the obligatory argument about why a security professional would use a
product with 'major' security issues... but that would not be helpful)

When there is a known security risk, and a patch is made
available... apply the patch. It will save you alot of pain later.




Carl E. Mankinen writes:
 > If you are running a firewall, you can run content security scanners like eSafe
 > and strip script code from attachments etc. I think some of these products
 > integrate with exchange as well.
 > 
 > My Exchange admin says there is a $500 tool that works with exchange
 > and strips all VBS code from attachments. Fine by me, I don't see a need
 > to send SCRIPT code in emails...
 > 
 > ----- Original Message ----- 
 > From: "Matt Rogghe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
 > Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 11:43 AM
 > Subject: RE: 
 > 
 > 
 > > Just an interesting note here and maybe a request for feedback.  I first
 > > found the virus yesterday after I got back from lunch and had something like
 > > 10-15 e-mails from the users here in my office... all the virus.  Four users
 > > here had opened the attachment before I could stop them.  Since I had just,
 > > minutes before, received those e-mails, I ran to the server and yanked the
 > > connection between the firewall and the mail server.... deleted all outbound
 > > e-mails from the exchange server queue (users will at least get a
 > > non-delivery if it was genuine business).... cleaned off the PC's and then
 > > re-connected the server.  Now, I work in a small office (~25 users) so I can
 > > do this sort of thing with impunity where some of you guys in bigger
 > > installations probably can't, but my real question here is: are there any
 > > good Exchange virus/content scan agents out there?  I took a look at a few a
 > > short while back and again yesterday and was discouraged to note that not a
 > > single one would identify the Kournikova virus unless you had updated the
 > > software with a patch released sometime yesterday.... probably a little too
 > > late.  I suppose I could purchase one of these and simply quarantine any
 > > .vbs/.js/any executable that came through until I looked at it, but I was
 > > hoping for something a little more automated.  Just a pipe dream?  Any
 > > products of note out there you guys have experience with?
 > > 
 > > Thanks,
 > > Matt Rogghe
 > > 
 > > -----Original Message-----
 > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
 > > Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 10:53 AM
 > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Matt Rogghe;
 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 > > Subject: RE: 
 > > 
 > > 
 > > I only meant that I use debug.
 > > 
 > > > ----------
 > > > From: Gibson, Brian
 > > > Sent: 13 February 2001 15:42
 > > > To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
 > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 > > > Subject: RE: 
 > > > 
 > > > Just curious but what exactly is the inherent risk in opening
 > > > attachments in a text only editor?  I often use a text editor to
 > > > quickly review attachments for malicious intent.  If they are binary
 > > > files then I go with an analyzer but for script attacks why is a text
 > > > editor a poor choice?  
 > > > 
 > > > If that wasn't your implications I apologize for misreading your
 > > > statement. 
 > > > 
 > > > -----Original Message----- 
 > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [
 > > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] 
 > > > Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 8:31 AM 
 > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 
 > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 > > > Subject: RE: 
 > > > 
 > > > 
 > > > Que? 
 > > > 
 > > > I was not complaining about the e-mail informing us that is was a
 > > > 'nasty 
 > > > little script'. I was highlighting the point that a mailing list whose
 > > > 
 > > > focus is IT Security was used to prolifferate malware. 
 > > > 
 > > > Let me see if I have you straight here. OK its nice to see the A.V.
 > > > and 
 > > > content analysis tools you have spent much resource on working as 
 > > > intended (Cheers for the the sample guys). But you can't seriously be 
 > > > telling me that the fact that this script was (Apparently/allegedly) 
 > > > sent to every e-mail address in Mr Rollie's Address Book, and that it 
 > > > was forwarded on to all of us is a usefull service? 
 > > > 
 > > > As one security professional to another. Even if it had no effect on
 > > > any 
 > > > recipient. What would your response be when one of your company's 
 > > > customers calls up to complain about being sent a virus via e-mail
 > > > from 
 > > > one of your users. Let me see if I can guess.... 
 > > > 
 > > > To give you some comfort ( as you are obviosuly concerned for my well 
 > > > being ) Of course I don't trust attachments. I do examine suspicious 
 > > > attachments with something a little more sophisticated than Notepad
 > > > (or 
 > > > is that vi). 
 > > > 
 > > > My appologies to all on the list. My mail was supposed to address what
 > > > I 
 > > > considered to be a serious issue. My intention was not to flame the
 > > > guys 
 > > > who run this list or to start a flame war on the list. However, I fear
 > > > 
 > > > that may be the result. 
 > > > 
 > > > Liam. 
 > > > 
 > > > > ---------- 
 > > > > From:         Bill Royds 
 > > > > Sent:         13 February 2001 13:00 
 > > > > To:   [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
 > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 
 > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 > > > > Subject:      RE: 
 > > > > 
 > > > > Actually that message was very useful to me. It gave me early
 > > > warning 
 > > > > about the virus by showing that it leaked through our email
 > > > anti-virus 
 > > > > and the code gave me  some strings to scan for on our IDS. 
 > > > >   As a security professional, I never execute anything I get in
 > > > email, 
 > > > > but I do examine it with text only tools to look for problems. Don't
 > > > 
 > > > > you 
 > > > > 
 > > > > -----Original Message----- 
 > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 > > > > [ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of 
 > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 > > > > Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 06:03 
 > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 > > > > Subject: RE: 
 > > > > Importance: High 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > I have to say that it is a pretty sad state of affairs when a
 > > > mailing 
 > > > > list that is dedicated to IT security issues falls foul of this type
 > > > 
 > > > > of 
 > > > > problem. 
 > > > > 
 > > > > Is there any need to allow attachments on this forum? 
 > > > > 
 > > > > I assume that there is some form of content analysis performed on
 > > > the 
 > > > > traffic through this list.....? 
 > > > > 
 > > > > I would assume that most people on this list have some form of
 > > > content 
 > > > > analyser implemented on their mail gateway. I would further assume 
 > > > > that 
 > > > > if you were not covered when the first VBS was distributed then you 
 > > > > were 
 > > > > pretty soon afterwards ( weren't you? ). This is the responsible
 > > > thing 
 > > > > to do. I am sure that the guys who run this list would think so too.
 > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > I know that this list is run (pretty smoothly) as a free service to
 > > > us 
 > > > > and the relevant T&Cs are in place, but people have been put on RBL 
 > > > > for 
 > > > > less. Is there a cheep and simple method you guys could implement by
 > > > 
 > > > > which attachments could be prohibited on this list? 
 > > > > 
 > > > > Cheers,Liam. 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > 
 > > > > > ---------- 
 > > > > > From:       Matt Rogghe 
 > > > > > Sent:       12 February 2001 20:55 
 > > > > > To:         'Gary Rollie'; [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
 > > > > > 
 > > > > > That last post to here was a nasty little replicator script. 
 > > > Looks 
 > > > > > like 
 > > > > > it's just hitting the global address list so far on the exchange 
 > > > > > server. 
 > > > > > - 
 > > > > > [To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with 
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 > > > > > 
 > > > > - 
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 > > > > 
 > > > - 
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 > > > 
 > > > 
 > > -
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