susan bradley, cpa aka ebitz sbs rocks [mvp]

Even though Kevin posted this in I wanted to make sure everyone saw it

MICROSOFT DOES NOT EMAIL SECURITY PATCHES

PSS Security Response Team Alert - New E-Mail Worm: W32/Swen@MM

SEVERITY: MODERATE
DATE: September 18, 2003
PRODUCTS AFFECTED: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, and
Web-based e-mail

************************************************** ********************

WHAT IS IT?
W32/Swen@MM spreads via e-mail and network shares. The Microsoft Product
Support Services Security Team is issuing this alert to advise customers to
be on the alert for this virus as it spreads in the wild. Customers are
advised to review the information and take the appropriate action for their
environments.

IMPACT OF ATTACK: Mass Mailing, disabling processes related to security
software such as antivirus and firewall software

TECHNICAL DETAILS:
For additional details on this worm from anti-virus software vendors
participating in the Microsoft Virus Information Alliance (VIA) please visit
the following links:

Network Associates:

http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_100662.htm

Trend Micro:

http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=WORM_SWEN.A

Symantec

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.swen.a@mm.html

Computer Associates:

http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virus.aspx?ID=36939

For more information on Microsoft's Virus Information Alliance please visit
this link: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/virus/via.asp

Please contact your Antivirus Vendor for additional details on this virus.


PREVENTION:

1. This worm is exploiting a previously patched vulnerability. The
vulnerability exploited is related to the following Microsoft Security
Bulletin:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms01-020.asp

As always, customers are advised to install the latest security patch for
Internet Explorer. Information on the latest ***ulative security patch for
Internet Explorer can be found here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-032.asp

2. Outlook 2000 post SP2 and Outlook XP SP1 include the most recent updates
to improve the security in Outlook and other Office programs. This includes
the functionality to block potentially harmful attachment types. If you are
running either of these versions, they will (by default) block the
attachment, and you will be unable to open it.

To ensure you are using the latest version of Office click here:
http://office.microsoft.com/ProductUpdates/default.aspx

By default, Outlook 2000 pre SR1 and Outlook 98 did not include this
functionality, but it can be obtained by installing the Outlook E-mail
Security Update. More information about the Outlook E-mail Security Update
can be found here:

http://office.microsoft.com/Downloads/2000/Out2ksec.aspx

Outlook Express 6 can be configured to block access to potentially-damaging
attachments. Information about how to configure this can be found here:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q291387

Outlook Express all other versions: Previous versions of Outlook Express do
not contain attachment-blocking functionality. Please exercise extreme
caution when opening unsolicited e-mail messages with attachments.

Web-based e-mail programs: Use of a program-level firewall can protect you
from being infected with this virus through Web-based e-mail programs.

RECOVERY:
If your computer has been infected with this virus, please contact your
preferred antivirus vendor or Microsoft Product Support Services for
assistance with removing it.

TECHNET SECURITY LINK:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/virus/alerts/swen.asp

As always please make sure to use the latest Anti-Virus detection from your
Anti-Virus vendor to detect new viruses and their variants.

If you have any questions regarding this alert please contact your Microsoft
representative or 1-866-727-2338 (1-866-PCSafety) within the US, outside of
the US please contact your local Microsoft Subsidiary. Support for virus
related issues can also be obtained from the Microsoft Virus Support
Newsgroup which can be located by clicking on the following link
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.security.virus.

PSS Security Response Team


-- Regards, Jerry Bryant - MCSE, MCDBA Microsoft IT Communities Get
Secure! http://www.microsoft.com/security

gary dikkema

Had 12 of these tonite with a little variation on the sender and subject
line; add that to the 5 or so that came during the day.

Gary D


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.519 / Virus Database: 317 - Release Date: 9/17/2003

john savidge

I had twelve this morning waiting in my inbox! ScanMail caught them all
though.

John

william hartwell

I had 25 messages that were blocked by the Bobcat extension blocking system.
The strange part is that every message was addressed to the email address
that I ONLY use for MS newsgroups.

Bill

rob schneider

Not strange. The "bad guys" have simply grabbed all the newsgroup
postings, extracted all the email addresses, and used that in their
distribution list to send out this thing. Think of it from their
perspective. What better source would there be for getting email
addresses of people using Microsoft products.

john savidge

I've had that too, all the incomming viruses are addressed to my personal
address.

John

gary dikkema

And I'm still getting them...

Strange and different attack, good thing ETrust is doing it's thing.

Gary D


<sbradcpa@pacbell.net>

pat kelecy

Odd - all the ones I've received are addressed to different email addresses.
Makes me wonder how they're getting to me?

<sbradcpa@pacbell.net>

costin gusa

Wouldn't be enforcing plain text messages on newsgroups a good solution
against this kind of messages ?

dave nickason

I believe that these idiots use software to read all the messages, pulling
out anything with a "@" in it - so it seems like text messages would be just
as vulnerable as HTML.