On Sun, May 07, 2000 at 05:56:07PM +1000, Ken Yap wrote:
> >What if tomorrow linux was as popular as windows, you have linux
> >users who bought computers with linux preinstalled, they don't know or care
> >about the OS, they might not even know what an OS was. They just need to use
> >the computer for the business applications, play games, surf the web, etc.
> >Someone they know sends them a replicating email virus that says "run this,
> >it turns your screen upside down and tells you a funny joke" what would stop
> >it from spreading like IL***Y** and M*L*SS*?
> >(I'm not a unix expert, I maybe missing something)
> >
> >I think the potential for a replicating linux email virus is there, but at
> >the moment we're projected by the number of linux users and their high educat
> >ion.
>
> Sure it's there but AFAIK there isn't yet a *x mail reader that allows the
There is at least one. [EMAIL PROTECTED] has received a report about it.
[ for the record it is not the mailer, but the viewing program itself
which is flawed ]
It looks like most of the Unix mailers are being checked to see how they
cope with certain attachments. At least that is one good thing to come out
of this.
> And we must always be vigilant against such dangerous features being put
> into *x mail readers. Or any kind of macro file facility that could be
> overwritten by attachments.
It isn't inherently dangerous. Most of the problem seems to stem from
the fact that a lot of Windows users are used to executing attachments.
Anyway we are well and truly off-topic now. I'll cease writing on
this thread. I'm happy to continue in private email though.
Anand
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