At 01:56 PM 1/5/2001 EST, Ajhsys@aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 1/5/01 12:27:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, Gonaj@aol.com
writes:
>....
>> Subject: Warning of new virus
>>
>> DO NOT OPEN "PRETTY PARK" It is a virus that will
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
> This is what
>Symantec has to say:
>
>"Discovered on: August 31, 2000
>Last Updated on: December 7, 2000 5:48:05 PM PST
>
> December 7, 2000:
>Due to a recent decrease in world-wide infections of this worm, SARC is
>reducing the threat level of this worm to 3 and removing it from the "Top
>Threats" list."
>....
Your reference is obviously in error. I bought a new computer in January
2000, and was immediately infected with the Pretty Park virus sometime
within the first few days before I could get the new machine completely
configured. Among other things it has something like a 30 minute delay (so
you might not notice), and then sends e-mail to everyone in your address
book, with the virus attached, so it is self replicating. It also
appearantly can send an email back to some unspecified address with an
attachment containing configuration information about your computer that
may allow someone to hack into it via the modem when it's on line. And the
wholesale email thing includes actuating an automatic dialer if you have
one enabled, so it can do all of this when you're not looking.
By the time I cought this virus it was already well known and the fix was
already specified. You are probably right that most anti-virus software
will now catch this one, but not everyone uses anti-virus, and in my case I
hadn't had the opportunity to install the anti-virus before it struck.
The other note here is that it comes as an executable program attached to
an email message, and as long as you don't run the program nothing happens.
If you just delete the attachment it's gone. Im my case I was curious
about a cute little smiley face icon that appeared somewhere (don't
remember exaclty where), and when I poked it I opened pandora's box. The
cleanup is not terribly difficult, just a PITA, but if it gets mailed out
you should do what you can to notify the folks it got mailed to.
Regards,
Barney Gaylord
|