Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Melissa? Don't panic!

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Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

Here's the URL for the CERT Melissa virus FAQ. Armed with the truth, you'll know a little better what to do (if anything).

http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/Melissa_FAQ.html

--Baloo

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Posted by Chimaera on :

Very informative, all except question #16, what's that about? Some connection between The Simpsons and Melissa, does anybody know what this connection supposedly is?

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Y'know what I never figured out? When this started, the article in the newspaper said that each time the virus propagated, it sent out 50 copies of the e-mail infected. Now, who exactly is it sending to? Does it somehow manage to come up w/ 50 random e-mail addresses? I doubt it...

And there's one easy way to avoid this: Don't open attachments when you don't know what they are!

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"About as useful as a narcoleptic rickshaw driver."
-James Lileks

Posted by deadcujo (Member # 13) on :

It's amazing that so many people actually open this stuff

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The Unknown Vulcan

Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

Pay special attention to #8.

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
Rodimus Prime: "Don't panic. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."

Posted by Elim Garak (Member # 14) on :

How did we not know Frank would point that out...?

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"Audaces fortuna juvat."
"Fortune favours the bold."

Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

You did know; I was just fufilling the prophecy.

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
Rodimus Prime: "Don't panic. Stay calm until we know what's going on. Then we'll panic."

Posted by Chimaera on :

TSN: I heard on the news that it accesses your address book on Microsoft Outlook Express, and sends itself to those email addresses (or at least the first fifty), although I don't know if it can also use the equivalent address books of other email programs...

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

Here's some more info from CIAC:

http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/j-037.shtml

From what I understand, Melissa propagates by accessing Outlook's address book and using the first 50 addys to send out copies of itself.

It doesn't do this unless you open the file. A little bit of healthy paranoia will prevent Melissa from spreading. Once you update your antivirus proggy, scan any file you receive if you plan to open it, BEFORE you open it.

You can find an excellent article by Rob Rosenberger about email viruses here: http://kumite.com/myths/opinion/emacros.htm

--Baloo

Posted by Chimaera on :

Just heard on the news that they arrested the guy who (they believe) programmed the Melissa virus. Don't quite remember his name, but I hope they lock him up for a good while if they find him guilty.

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"Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you."
-Commander Riker, USS Enterprise

[This message was edited by Chimaera on April 02, 1999.]

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Yeah, I don't recall his name either, but I think they caught him in New Jersey. He's being charged w/ something like "interfering w/ public communications", which apparently carries a rather long sentence...

Oh, and if it uses Outlook's address book, doesn't that mean that it can't affect you if you don't use Outlook? That one thing suggested that, even if you don't use it, having Outlook installed would allow it to propagate. But, if you haven't got any addresses in Outlook's address book, who's it going to send itself to? *rhetorical question*

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"About as useful as a narcoleptic rickshaw driver."
-James Lileks

Posted by Charles Capps (Member # 9) on :

If you do not have or use Outlook 97/Express or Word 97 or above, then you're not infectable.

Just for the record - do you KNOW how they tracked him down?

I'm hearing rumors...

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"Okay, so I'm not "SANE" so to speak, but uh... I'm the lovable kind of psycho"
http://solareclipse.net/

Posted by Xentrick (Member # 64) on :

David L. Smith, age 30, arrested at his brother's house in New Jersey [North Eastern USA.]

I read a posting on another board that he was tracked by MicroSoft's "Global User ID, or GUID."

Posted by Enterprise (Member # 48) on :

Smith can get, I think, 10 years in the house of many doors for it.

You all won't beieve this, but he named the virus after a topless dancer he knew in Florida.

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Brandon "Enterprise" Grasmick
Commanding Officer, USS Sovereign (NX-74222)

"Captain, the Sona crew are willing to negotiate a cease fire. It may have something to do with the fact that we have 3 minutes of air left."
-- Worf

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges
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Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

OOOOOOoooooooo!

I'll bet SHE's impressed!

"Golly! He named some malicious software after me? And to think I can't pick his face out from the crowd!"

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Posted by Cougar02 on :

Yes, he was arrested in New Jersey. I live in Orlando, where the virus originated. "Melissa" was named after a stripper named Melissa who David Smith met during a vacation down here. His sentence will be heavy, and he will be recieving numerous lawsuits from companies affected.

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

Not to mention that every user who's been "infected" owes him a kick in the teeth.

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*I only SEEM Normal*

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Erm... According to the link provided by Baloo in the initial post, it was named "Melissa" by the anti-virus software people. If it had been named such by the author, how would they have known it before they caught him?

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"About as useful as a narcoleptic rickshaw driver."
-James Lileks

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

TSN: Touché, TSN!

I hadn't noticed.

--Baloo