Can viruses infect Internet-based mail?

  • Thread starter Thread starter James Dow Allen
  • Start date Start date
J

James Dow Allen

This question is asked before in this group, but I've
not seen an answer that looks authoritative.

I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?

James
 
Yes, of course. Why else would the web based mail services go to so much
trouble to install anti-virus filters?
-E
 
This question is asked before in this group, but I've
not seen an answer that looks authoritative.

I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?
Click to expand...

I can't give you a authoritative answer, but the idea of naive users
using IE makes me shudder. If you said you use a Gecko based browser
such as Mozilla or Firefox ... or Opera .... I'd feel much better. At
least, if you insist on using IE, make sure security is set to high in
all zones.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
On 11 Jul 2004 00:20:38 -0700, (e-mail address removed) (James Dow Allen)
wrote:
I can't give you a authoritative answer, but the idea of naive users
using IE makes me shudder. If you said you use a Gecko based browser
such as Mozilla or Firefox ... or Opera .... I'd feel much better. At
least, if you insist on using IE, make sure security is set to high in
all zones.


Art
Click to expand...

Man, speaking of naive, that response sure is. You are a
perfect example of the ego-centric moron who only thinks you
know it all, when in fact you are ignorant. Since you
didn't have an answer for the OP, why did you bother to pull
your head out of your ass? Who the hell cares if YOU would
feel better if ... ?
 
I can't give you a authoritative answer, but the idea of naive users
using IE makes me shudder. If you said you use a Gecko based browser
such as Mozilla or Firefox ... or Opera .... I'd feel much better. At
least, if you insist on using IE, make sure security is set to high in
all zones.
Click to expand...

The OP didn't state which browser he uses, and the use of Yahoo mail
doesn't specifically require IE. Correct me if I'm wrong, but on the
surface your response seems quite irrelevant.

Regards,
Ian.
 
The OP didn't state which browser he uses, and the use of Yahoo mail
doesn't specifically require IE. Correct me if I'm wrong, but on the
surface your response seems quite irrelevant.
Click to expand...

Why? Most users use IE don't they? What exactly is irrelevant? If
you're correct that IE isn't required then what I wrote is quite
relevant and it's damn good advice.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
This question is asked before in this group, but I've
not seen an answer that looks authoritative.

I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?

James
Click to expand...
****************** REPLY SEPARATER **********************
One popular form of malware these days is imbedded streaming objects. Outhouse
Excuse (Alias Outlook Express) is vulnerable to these because it uses the same
HTML rendering engine as Internet Explorer and supports all the fancy crap
that Microsoft throws in.

So in answer to your question, it depends. If your Browser is set to run Active
Scripting and ActiveX, then YES you are vulnerable. Outlook can have additional
security provisions over and above what is in IE, but it is the same basic
engine. If you are using an email client program that does not support imbedded
streaming objects, it is less vulnerable. And if it doesn't support HTML at all
(or only text based tags), then you are much less vulnerable.

J.A. Coutts
 
On that special day, James Dow Allen, ([email protected]) said...
I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?
Click to expand...

Better don't use Internet Explorer for web mailing. Last week, several
web sites which looked quite regular and sincere, had been hacked to
install trojans on the visitor's machine, complete with remote control
and such.


Gabriele Neukam

(e-mail address removed)
 
On that special day, Gabriele Neukam, (Gabriele.Spamfighter.Neukam@t-
online.de) said...
Better don't use Internet Explorer for web mailing. Last week, several
web sites which looked quite regular and sincere, had been hacked to
install trojans on the visitor's machine, complete with remote control
and such.
Click to expand...

Here is a bit of info about it (and btw, it is already two weeks since
that happened)

http://www.uscert.gov/current/current_activity.html#iis5
http://newsfromrussia.com/accidents/2004/06/26/54585.html


Gabriele Neukam

(e-mail address removed)
 
Thanks for the great reply to the OP.
:-)
Buffalo
Click to expand...

I hope that was meant as sarcasm. Here's a couple of recent problems
which were allegedly fixed:

http://www.greymagic.com/security/advisories/gm005-mc/
http://www.greymagic.com/security/advisories/gm006-mc/

There are many more. The endless parade of IE vulnerabilities/exploits
goes on and on ad nauseum. All you have to do is Google up "yahoo
email vulnerabilities".

And don't believe that garbage yahoo puts out about email being safe.
The only way plain email is safe is with plain text. Or with sane
email apps that use their own html rendering engines and not IE's.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
The endless parade of IE vulnerabilities/exploits
goes on and on ad nauseum. All you have to do is Google up "yahoo
email vulnerabilities".
Click to expand...

Here is the result of a Google search for "yahoo email vulnerabilities"
http://www.google.ca/search?q="yahoo+email+vulnerabilities"&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

" Your search - "yahoo email vulnerabilities" - did not match any
documents."

So your search recommendations come up empty and they, like your posts so
far, are irrelevant to the OP's question.

And let me just say this a bit more clearly than I did earlier, so that
you can understand it: Your stupid blathering about Intenet Explorer has
NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the OP's question. It's as IRRELEVANT as
the model of car he chooses to drive or whether he chooses two-ply over
three-ply toilet paper. The OP wanted to know if he was safe from viruses
when using Yahoo mail if he opened no attachments and clicked on no links.

Regards,
Ian.
 
I hope that was meant as sarcasm. Here's a couple of recent problems
which were allegedly fixed
Click to expand...
[snip]

No, I was thanking him for addressing the OP's original question.
 
Here is the result of a Google search for "yahoo email vulnerabilities"
http://www.google.ca/search?q="yahoo+email+vulnerabilities"&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

" Your search - "yahoo email vulnerabilities" - did not match any
documents."

So your search recommendations come up empty and they, like your posts so
far, are irrelevant to the OP's question.
Click to expand...

Garbage. I searched quickly on a phrase similar to that and turned up
the links I posted plus many others. Use your friggen head instead of
your arse. And if you're too stupid to see the relevance to the OP's
post that's your problem, not mine.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
James said:
This question is asked before in this group, but I've
not seen an answer that looks authoritative.
Click to expand...

then here's your authoritative answer - viruses cannot infect mail, web
based or otherwise... viruses and worms *can* use web based mail as an
entry point (depending on a number of things, not the least of which
being whether or not you do dumb things like open strange attachments)
and they can probably grab your web based address book out of your
browser's cache and send to all your friends and business contacts...
I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?
Click to expand...

possibly... it depends on the browser you use and the availability of
exploits for that browser to cause it to download and run code without
user interaction... IE has recently been the focus of attention for
just such an exploit being used in the wild (though for a keylogging
trojan rather than a virus)...
 
Garbage. I searched quickly on a phrase similar to that and turned up
the links I posted plus many others. Use your friggen head instead of
your arse. And if you're too stupid to see the relevance to the OP's
post that's your problem, not mine.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
Click to expand...

I did the same search and got the same answer. Did not match any documents.
You say you used a similar phrase. What was the phrase?

I also tried using "yahoo email virus" and there appears to be a couple of
links that will actually down load a virus for you! Other than that not much
useful.

Hud
 
On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 19:27:29 GMT, "Buffalo"

I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?

Yahoo says:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mail/anti-virus/anti-virus-04.html

--
Ian.

Thanks for the great reply to the OP.
:-)
Buffalo

I hope that was meant as sarcasm. Here's a couple of recent problems
which were allegedly fixed
Click to expand...
[snip]
No, I was thanking him for addressing the OP's original question.
Click to expand...

Which he didn't do at all.


Art
http://www.epix.net/~artnpeg
Click to expand...

I guess I'm confused. The OP asked:
"I read Yahoo mail at mail.yahoo.com. If I open no attachments
(and click no links) can this infect the computer I use?"


The link provided by Ionizer stated:

"How does Yahoo! Mail protect me against viruses?
Email messages themselves can't contain viruses. However, files that are
attached to messages can contain viruses. Yahoo! Mail provides free scanning
of attachments to all users who get incoming email through the web interface
as well as to Mail Plus subscribers who POP their incoming mail.
When you receive a message with an attachment, click on the "Scan and
Download Attachment" link. This will automatically check the attachment for
any known viruses.

If none are found, you can download the file. If a virus is found, it will
be automatically cleaned, if possible, for Mail Plus subscribers. Other
users will be notified of the virus and have the option to upgrade to Mail
Plus to get the virus-cleaning feature. "


How is your answer "Which he didn't do at all" , make any sense at all.

Jeez :(
 
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