Security updates from Microsoft

[Oz Springs]

I have just received two emails one from ³Microsoft Corporation Internet
Security Center² and another from ³MS Corporation Security Department² and
attaching two differently-named .exe files, though the description says they
are the ³December 2004, Cumulative Patch².

Both were addressed to my old newsgroup address which I changed a few days
ago to avoid getting spam.

Are these for real? Or are they viruses? I am surprised that Microsoft is
sending these updates for Windows to Mac people.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

I have just received two emails one from ³Microsoft Corporation Internet
Security Center² and another from ³MS Corporation Security Department² and
attaching two differently-named .exe files, though the description says they
are the ³December 2004, Cumulative Patch².

Both were addressed to my old newsgroup address which I changed a few days
ago to avoid getting spam.

Are these for real? Or are they viruses? I am surprised that Microsoft is
sending these updates for Windows to Mac people.

Those are spam viruses. Microsoft did not send them. Microsoft does not
distribute updates this way.

 

[Fredrik Wahlgren]

Those are spam viruses. Microsoft did not send them. Microsoft does not
distribute updates this way.

They are not for real. If they have an attachment, it's a virus. Microsoft
doesn't send patches or security updates by email. Also be careful with
emails that seem to come from your email provider claiming that an email
could not be delivered. They usually have an attachment which is a some kind
of pestware in disguise.

/ Fredrk

 

[Axel Hammerschmidt]

Also be careful with emails that seem to come from your email provider
claiming that an email could not be delivered. They usually have an
attachment which is a some kind of pestware in disguise.

Why? Has one turned up that works on a Mac?

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

It's worse than that!

There are emails that entice folks to "verify account information."
These emails use bank, credit card, and other trademarked logos and look
like the real thing.

Instead of just getting a computer virus, these emails are the
electronic version of the old "bank teller" scam. In the old fashioned
real time version someone masquerades as a bank employee and entices a
"sucker" "mark" or "victim" to withdraw funds from an institution on the
notion that they want to test the "honesty" of an employee. In reality,
they just want you to take your money out and give it to them.

In the new version of this scam an official looking email cleverly
crafted to evade all spam and virus checkers appears in your mailbox.
You are asked to "verify" your account information. In reality you're
giving away your identity to a theif who will then impersonate you,
withdraw all your money and max out your credit line.

These emails are far more dangerous than simply wrecking your computer.
They can wreck your entire life! They are cross-platform. Mac, Linux,
and Windows computers are equally susceptible to these con-artist creations.

The only protection you have against these scams is to use your brain
and don't fall for them.

-Jim

 

[Axel Hammerschmidt]

There are emails that entice folks to "verify account information."
These emails use bank, credit card, and other trademarked logos and look
like the real thing.

That is not what we were discussing. What you are describing is
something like this:

http://secunia.com/multiple_browsers_window_injection_vulnerability_test

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Axel,

You know and I know it's not the exact same thing, but I don't want Mac
users to get the idea that everything in their email's INBOX is safe and
can't hurt them just because they're using a Mac. My comments are still
within the general spam, email, virus genre of things, I think. But if
not, I hope you're kind enough to overlook the slight digression.

-Jim

 

[Axel Hammerschmidt]

You know and I know it's not the exact same thing, but I don't want Mac
users to get the idea that everything in their email's INBOX is safe and
can't hurt them just because they're using a Mac. My comments are still
within the general spam, email, virus genre of things, I think. But if
not, I hope you're kind enough to overlook the slight digression.

Did the phishing link work with your browser? It did with MSIE 5.1.6
(MacOS 9.1).

Yes. Mac users do seem to think that we are safe from virus.