Re: A new level of sophistication in cyber security

From: Harvey Newstrom (mail@HarveyNewstrom.com)
Date: Sat May 20 2000 - 09:49:17 MDT


"Dan Fabulich" <daniel.fabulich@yale.edu> wrote:

> Harvey Newstrom noted in a parenthetical:
>
> >(The I-Love-You virus was really a Microsoft-specific backdoor that
> >did not affect any non-Microsoft operating system or any
> >non-Microsoft product.)
>
> This isn't 100% right. Running the VBS script without Outlook
> installed will still do damage to your computer.

I never mentioned Outlook. VBS is a Microsoft product.

> (The new FW worm
> will, for example, still set the length of all your files to 0, even
> if you've never installed Outlook.)

Only on a Microsoft operating system. Not on Apple Macintosh, Unix, BeOS,
Next, OS/2, Mainframes, Decs, Crays, etc.

> So, it's true that this won't affect any non-Microsoft operating
> system (since the VBScript won't work there),
> but mailers like Eudora are still vulnerable to these e-mails. Anybody
foolish enough to
> double click on the VBS in Pegasus Mail will wish they hadn't.

Only on a Microsoft operating system. Eudora running on a Macintosh that
does not have Microsoft products will not be affected. Eudora running on a
Macintosh with Microsoft products might allow the virus to get in, and if it
gets to the Microsoft products will be affected. A Microsoft mailer on a
Macintosh with Microsoft products will definitely be affected.

--
Harvey Newstrom <http://HarveyNewstrom.com>
IBM Certified Senior Security Consultant,  Legal Hacker, Engineer, Research
Scientist, Author.



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