I'm forwarding the following warning from the list-owner of
'Francofil.
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From: Tim Unwin <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Tim Unwin <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 15:14:09 +0100
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [FRANCOFIL] The Bugbear virus
Members of Francofil using Windows should be aware that the Bugbear virus,
much in the news over the last few days, is causing major havoc. This is a
highly dangerous virus and we ask you all to be extremely vigilant. Although
Bugbear is principally a threat to home PC users without up-to-date
anti-virus software, it also has the capacity to get through
firewalls and onto networks.
Bugbear comes as an attachment in the form of .exe, .scr, or .pif on a
randomly generated e-mail. The attachment may activate without being opened,
copying itself to the hard drive, as well as to other computers connected
over a network. The virus then stops some security and anti-virus programs
from running. It may record everything you type in some programs, such as
passwords or credit card numbers. It can send a file with this information
to several e-mail addresses. The virus also opens a 'back door' on the
computer through which a hacker could get into the machine.
Early versions of the virus carried an attachment of 50,688 bytes. However,
as it continues, the virus is accumulating other files and thus increasing
the
attachment size. If you receive a random e-mail with a 50,688 byte
attachment, assume it is Bugbear. Other random e-mails with larger
attachments received over the next few days are also likely to be Bugbear.
If you suspect that your computer has been infected, please download a
removal tool (freely available) from a trusted anti-virus site. Symantec
(http://www.symantec.com/) is one such site, offering a Bugbear removal file
that is 174kb and only takes a couple of minutes to download, and about 5-10
minutes to run. Windows/Outlook Express users, who are most at risk, may
find that it is helpful to have the file on hand before the virus strikes.
Tim Unwin & Kay Chadwick
List Moderators
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--- End Forwarded Message ---
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Aidan Coveney
University of Exeter
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