To all list subscribers,
Normally, virus warnings are not posted to the Rootsweb mail lists, but a
recent rash of e-mails containing virus attachments have been received by
members of this and a few other Rootsweb lists. Several of the tainted
e-mails have been traced to subscribers of this list, prompting the need to
warn all to be very careful of the e-mails that you open, and to urge
everyone to ensure that your computer is virus-free.
First, a little about the virus. The most prevalent traced to this list is
the W95.Hybris.Gen.dr virus. It is a worm virus that re-writes some files
in your computer, copies the address book in your e-mail program, and mails
out copies of itself while you are on the internet. You will not know that
it is doing this. No, it will not erase your hard drive, but it can
permanently damage some of your files, and creates problems with the volume
of e-mails created as it spreads.
Usually, you WILL NOT know your computer is infected, you will not know
that it sending out the e-mail copies of itself, and there will be no
record of the e-mails in your files. Your ONLY CLUE may be that your
computer has been acting sluggish lately, or extremely slow at times.
One version of the virus comes in an e-mail that reads:
From: Hahaha <hahaha(a)sexyfun.net>
And has the subject:
Subject: Snowhite and the Seven Dwarfs - The REAL story!
The attachment can have one of several different names. Another version
will be blank in the From: and Subject: fields and contain an attachment
like "WIN_$100_NOW.DOC.pif" or something similar. If you expand the e-mail
header, it may show that the e-mail is from an address that you
recognize. They DO NOT KNOW that their computer sent it! If you receive
one of these e-mails, DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY! If you have received one of
these in the past, PLEASE CHECK YOUR COMPUTER FOR VIRUS CONTAMINATION! If
you receive any strange or unknown e-mails with an attachment, scan it for
viruses, or DELETE IT!
A few computer users out there do not have anti-virus programs. If you do
not have one, PLEASE get one as soon as possible. One virus was traced to
a computer that had anti-virus software installed, but it had not been
up-dated for three months and did not detect the virus. Anti-virus
software must be updated at least once a month to keep the scan engines
current, and the virus definition files should be updated at least once a
week to ensure you have the latest protection. Most anti-virus software
contain a means to update over the internet, either by schedule or
manually. If you have not updated yours lately, PLEASE DO SO!
A warning! Some strains of the virus, including the W95.MTX.dr, can
re-write files in your web browser to prevent you from accessing some of
the Anti-virus websites. If your computer will not access these sites you
may be forced to take your computer to a repair shop.
Trend Micro, INC. has an on-line virus scan engine called "Housecall" that
you can use free of charge to scan your computer while you are on the
internet. It can be found here:
http://housecall.antivirus.com/
It will take a few minutes to install the necessary files to scan your
computer, and will take several minutes to complete a scan. Just follow
the directions and it is fairly easy. It will fix or delete any corrupt
files it finds, or tell you what to do if it cannot fix them.
Here are some websites where you can find information on viruses and how to
remove them:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html
http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/default.asp?
http://www.Europe.F-Secure.com/v-descs/
E-mail from the list will be safe. Rootsweb does not allow attachments to
be sent to the list. PLEASE be careful of other e-mails, and please run
your anti-virus program regularly. Thank You for helping to stop the
spread of these viruses.
Ernie Lasley
elasley(a)sigecom.net