Conference powdml::pc_security

I just got a variation of the warning in .0 from someone outside DEC:

>Have you heard about this?  Be careful! 
>
>
>Anyone who receives this must send it to as many people
>as you can.  It is essential that this problem be reconciled 
>as soon as possible.  A few hours ago, I opened an E-mail that 
>had the subject heading of "AOL4FREE.COM".  Within seconds of
>opening it, a window appeared and began to display my files that 
>were being deleted.  I immediately shut down my computer, but it 
>was too late.  This virus wiped me out.  It ate the Anti-Virus 
>software that comes with the Windows '95 program along with 
>F-Prot AVS.  Neither was able to detect it.  Please be careful and
>send this to as many people as possible, so maybe this new virus can 
>be eliminated.
>
>DON'T OPEN E_MAIL NOTING "AOL4FREE" 
>
>Be aware that there are letters going around that you have won free 
> AOL until 1998...or AOL 4 Free...Please Delete...contains a virus
>that will wipe out your harddrive .. after you download and it executes.... 
>it is too late.
>
>Please be very careful!!
>

The Computer Virus Myths Web site (http://www.kumite.com/myths/) labels
this as a "probable urban legend."

-- Nina

What about this mail I received from within DEC, sounds like hoax as well??

  _Wim_

        FYI... this message circulated here.  Want you all to know about this.
Please pass on..

> VIRUS WARNING   DO  NOT OPEN  IT  !  

If anyone receives mail entitled:  PENPAL GREETINGS!  
Delete   it    WITHOUT    reading    it.
 
  > ON NO ACCOUNT BE TEMPTED TO OPEN AND READ THE MESSAGE. 

  > This is a warning for all Internet users.  There is a dangerous  virus 
     propagating across the Internet through an e-mail message entitled 
 
  > 'PENPAL GREETINGS!'.  DO NOT OPEN ANY MESSAGE ENTITLED 
     "PENPAL GREETINGS!"  The message appears to be a friendly letter 
      asking you  if  you are interested in a penpal, but by the time you open
      it to read it, it is too late.  The 'trojan horse' virus will have
already infected 
      the boot sector of your hard drive, destroying all of the data present. 
      It is a self-propagating virus, and once the message is read, it will 
      AUTOMATICALLY forward itself to anyone whose e-mail address is 
     present in YOUR mailbox.  This virus will destroy your hard drive, and 
     holds  the potential to destroy the hard drive of anyone whose mail is in 
     your in-box, and whose mail is in their in-box and so on.  If this virus 
     keeps getting passed, it has the potential to do a great deal of damage 
     to computer networks worldwide.

    Please, delete the message entitled "PENPAL GREETINGS!" as soon as 
    you  see it.  And pass this message along to all of your friends, 

    re .1
    
    Symantec's AntiVirus Research Center website lists AOL4FREE as a
    hoax. (Think of it as a real virus of a different sort -- the virus
    is the propagation of the warning.)
    
    PenPal greetings is also listed as a hoax.
    
    See http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html

    On the other hand ...
    
    http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/h-47a.shtml
    
    indicates that there really is a trojan horse version of aol4free
    out there -- not a good times style "read this mail and you're
    hosed" type of thing, but an actual exe that can do damaged if
    executed.

1/ You CANNOT get infected just by reading a mail
   AOL4FREE is a hoax
   To be effective a malware (Trojan Horse or Virus) must be activated!

2/ You can get infected by double clicking on an attachment within a mail
   (Word and Excel Macro Viruses, binary files...)
   AOL4FREE.COM is a real destructive trojan horse

Keep in mind that in doubt you must first check
http://www-is-security.mso.dec.com/ and click on the link
	Computer Virus Hoax List

to be certain to use latest up-to-date information, and not 
cached information, use "Reload"

Pierre