FBI Tracking LoveLetter Worm

FBI Tracking LoveLetter Worm
Kevin Poulsen, SecurityFocus 2000-05-04

A new Melissa-style email virus is spreading globally, and it loves you not.

Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-04
Anonymous (5 replies)

It's all about Micro$oft products... Melissa virus ... this one (and lots more in the past) they all were aiming at the Micro$ofts programs. Why? Because Micro$oft doesn't care about glitches and bugs that they have in their software.

They should !!!

DO NOT USE MICRO$OFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS ! IT'S A...

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Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-04
Anonymous (2 replies)

If everyone used Eudora as an email client I guess all viruses would target it instead of MS Outlook. Get a clue about why these people (the ones creating the viruses) target a particular application...because it's the most widely used, not because it's a MS Bugged App. ...

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Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-05
Anonymous

It has nothing to do with Outlook in particular. The problem comes from the way

Microsoft allows VB-Script, ActiveX and other parts to interact without

a really good way to enhance the internal security. In particular, FAT16 and FAT32

are REALLY bad as bases for security.

No application bas...

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Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-06
Anonymous

You're wrong!

MS Outlook Express executes a VBS in the email, Outlook 5 too, but it warns you first.

If you qould use a simple email client, all that VBS would not do nothing!...

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Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-04
Anonymous

Shoot at the bigest target you can think of. It's the lamer's way....

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-04
Anonymous (5 replies)

If an IT manager implements a policy of scanning e-mails and e-mail attachments for worms/virus/trojans or other malicious code, the end user never receives the offending e-mail. While Microsoft is certainly culpable for allowing this type of attack, IT managers and ISPs need to take responsibility...

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-04
Anonymous (1 replies)

Notes of an IS Manager:

The biggest problems come from a lack of IS/IT/MIS readiness in general. This type of virus will hit the hardest for those shops that are always reactive and never proactive in there prevention methods. I must admit that even my shop fell victim to this and I usually pri...

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-04
Anonymous

"The biggest problems come from a lack of IS/IT/MIS readiness in general. This type of virus will hit the hardest for those shops that are always reactive and never proactive in there prevention methods. I must admit that even my shop fell victim to this and I usually pride my self with being very p...

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no 2000-05-04
Anonymous

Why would you want your email to be scanned. It's a job that could be perfectly handled by a user-end's software. No server should disregard emails because of what's attached to them. Unless it's after they discover the virus and then know for sure what's going on....

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-04
Duane Verzone <dverzone (at) tampabay.rr (dot) com [email concealed]> (2 replies)

I have news for you folks. I scan every single piece of email and every attachment that comes int o my network from the internet for worms and virus content. This thing still got through our defenses and managed to cripple us for awhile today. Statements like you are making here are uncalled for ...

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-04
Anonymous (1 replies)

I like to have a comment,

This is a very good example of the poor security on the net. In my case didn't work this "virus" which is more a Trojan than a virus! (in my opinion). The code is wide open and it speculates the security ignorance.

I'm using a procmail script, which detects any script t...

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-05
Anonymous

Hi,

Good point, but one problem will occur on any larger network. I'm working at the helpdesk at our company and I have about 1200 people to help out if they should need it. About perhaps 200 of these would know how to rename a file. 100 of these would know that it, in fact, is an .exe file they ...

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-05
Anonymous

Very well said. I work at an business ISP and we had the virus sent to an employee; however we were able to get the warning out just in time before she was able to open it. But we did have many customers that weren't so lucky. I think the biggest way to combat something like that is educating the st...

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Responsibility is on those who use stupid e-mail clients 2000-05-05
Anonymous

like ms outlook...

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Responsibility is with IT managers and ISPs 2000-05-06
Anonymous

Don't be an idiot. If there exists corporate wide filtering at the server,

what makes you think it won't be a great way to filter email, (i.e.,

READ) for just about anything? It's bad enough that employers would

stoop to any kind of perusing of email, but that doesn't mean you should

ins...

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Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-04
Anonymous (1 replies)

It is not microsoft to blame the writer of the love bug created objects to outlook the same as you can with any DLL file on your system be it Microsofts or Not...

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Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-05
Anonymous

If Microsoft was built on a better platform then it wouldn't be such a problem. The average Linux/Unix user is smarter than the average Microsoft user, so don't you think that there would be more Linux/Unix viruses but of course there are not. It is way too difficult to write a successful virus for ...

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R.E. Outlook Express sucks 2000-05-05
Anonymous

You are correct in the fact that micro$oft uses vbscript as a macro language has created a host of viruses for it's products this is not a good thing....

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Ahhh Microsoft... THE BEST IS YET TO COME 2000-05-04
Anonymous

WAY TO GO BILL! LOVE THE AD.

CAMERON SMITH...

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Save your self!!! 2000-05-04
Anonymous

Save Yourself and switch to LINUX :-)...

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re: I love you VBS 2000-05-04
Anonymous

Maybe this is a good argument for internal intranets that take care of their own e.mail. Such as ones built with ColdFusion. I can't really see this happening there, and they arn't to hard to build.

Or hell just use Hotmail....

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Re: 2000-05-04
Anonymous

You are your own gateway to virus infections!...

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Love bug is that simple it's impressive 2000-05-04
Anonymous (3 replies)

I got the love bug in the uk london about 7am thismorning thinking something was up I opened it up in interdev first before run running it and too my supprise I was gald i didn't run it but the code is so simple yet it's really impressive the concept of it I could say it could only be defined as a v...

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100% Right ! 2000-05-04
Anonymous

You are 100% right!

You see to do bad things are amassing... very easy!

To do something constructive is more painful and not always funny.

Sfinx

...

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Love bug is that simple it's impressive 2000-05-05
Anonymous

In fact i'm not developper but when I saw the code yesterday I thought exactly the same : it looks very simple. The major threat now is that a lot of people can modify this code to create a new undetected virus. I'm not sure it's possible for antiviruses to detect this kind of code without also det...

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- could someone post code ?? 2000-05-06
Anonymous

hi,

i would like to see how it looks like.

could someone please mail it to me - s9000 (at) usa (dot) net [email concealed]

tnx...

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Outlook Express "Message Rules" 2000-05-04
Anonymous (1 replies)

For those who have not contracted the virus yet, would it not be helpful to set your message rules so that it will not accept anything from your server that contains "ILOVEYOU" in the message subject?

thx

fotoman138 (at) hotmail (dot) com [email concealed]

Mandrake Linux/Win 98 user

...

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Outlook Express 2000-05-05
Anonymous

A suggestion: give up with win98 and use only Mandrake. Lothar would agree.

pederzani (at) orsola-malpighi.med.unibo.it. (dot) . [email concealed]

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kill more trees 2000-05-04
Anonymous

Damn, if only my company had placed a simple lettersize white paper on the main door to the company's office that said, please DO NOT open any emails that has 'iloveyou' in the subject line. Though they did post an email to everyone in the company stating these exact words, it will not always be the...

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starved of love... 2000-05-04
Anonymous

hmm.pc users are starved of love, it appears. what a pity....

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Re : IMMUNITY TO ViRUS 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

We, the Linux & BSD (UNIX brand) community are immune to it. I am laughing at every virus, as we are immune to them. Whoever uses M$ should switch O/S' ! If now isn't a reason to switch, then you never will !

Peace !

-Matador...

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Re : IMMUNITY TO ViRUS 2000-05-05
Anonymous

If I find the brat that wrote the"ILOVEYOU" virus, I'll throttle him/her to death.....no I'll just let the angry people that are//were affected loose on him/her...hehehe..

Hell... I'd pay $1,000,000 to whoever finds and turns in the person that did this.. just to see the little F__ker SUFFER FOR ...

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i love you 2000-05-05
Anonymous

Latest news is that the virus changed its name to "forwarded joke" ...

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Lotus Notes 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

Use Lotus Notes and you dont have do worry about lame script viruses :)...

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Lotus Notes 2000-05-05
Anonymous

Hi,

I wouldn't be that happy..

It is just a matter of time when we start getting stuff written for Notes .. as the code, syntax and scripting stuff is widely available to any user within LN domain, just imagine what would it do with 30,000 users replicas ..at least hammer as400 itself..

Domin...

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Virus hits Europe very hard, too! 2000-05-05
Anonymous

Europe is also heavily affected.

In Switzerland Banks like UBS.com and CREDIT-SUISSE.com have problems. Other agencies like NOVARTIS.com, swisscom.ch, swissre.com, .... have big problems, too!

Its pretty impressive how easy vulnerable we are!

Hope we (you?) dont overdepent on technology.

Gre...

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Where is the problem ? 2000-05-05
Joe Dauncey <toothbrushhead (at) yahoo (dot) com [email concealed]> (2 replies)

What is it that makes this a problem ?

I think that it is:

a) Users that run unsolicited applications. If they run the LoveBug then they would run an .exe file that systematically formats your hard drive. You can't protect against that.

b) Mail programs that run applications without the users a...

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Where is the problem ? 2000-05-05
Anonymous (2 replies)

Realistically, the computer security world would be much better if we could eradicate all gulluble members of the population. But you have to give them some credit. Say a person receives this message from his girlfriend with the subject "ILOVEYOU." Natural inclination: "So what does it say?" The...

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Where is the problem ? 2000-05-05
Anonymous

Yes, but acctually... wouldnt eradicating the gullible be an easier/cheaper solution? :)

/_GNU_...

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Where is the problem ? 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

BORDERLINE gullible? Masterful understatement...

How about the guys that opened ILOVEYOU attachments from their respective managers, directors, etc... C'mon now =]...

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Where is the problem ? 2000-05-05
Anonymous

I meant the country on average. Just because some people think their managers secretly are in love with them doesn't mean EVERYONE does. So... the average of the gullibility of Americans is "borderline gullible." The Senate has an above average gullibility level.

gwenwyn.

btw, if any of you...

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Where is the problem ? 2000-05-06
Anonymous

Well, get somebody that doesn't find it so difficult. I'll be more than happy

to come solve the problem, so long as I'm paid up front in case you aren't

happy with reality. Anyone that intentionally buys a defective product, should

not complain about the defects they spent good money to purc...

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Something to think about. 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

Security, both User, and client side is all well and good, and in my opinion both should be practiced. But a comment was already made once that I would like to reiterate, the true fault of this whole incident lies with Spyder, or the creator of any of these viruses. We can do everything possible to ...

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Something to think about. 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

You're kidding me right? How did this virus get compared to the Littleton shooting? It must be this demon crop of kids that just sprung up from the depths of hell. Give me a break.

Culture is changing, human interaction is changing at a hyper rate that no one really understands. Kids today are m...

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Something to think about. 2000-05-08
Trey <mr_spaz (at) juno (dot) com [email concealed]>

Just to clear something up. I compared it to the littleton shooting, not because I think that kids are inherently evil in this generation, but because I think that the irresponsible manner in which some children are being raised has caused them to be more destructive. Whoever created the "love bug" ...

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Just don't use the vunerable products. 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

Everyone knows microsoft * has this bug/ability... Just move to a more secure system.

/_GNU_...

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This is just the first of many new ways. 2000-05-05
Anonymous (1 replies)

Soon we will get hit with the real deal. If you think this hit hard just wait. As the younger get older thay get smarter. Any way I think this was a way to get rid of Mp3z have you been keeping up with the news. Every band out there is pissed off at the free mpz3 so why not have a code to kill them ...

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This is just the first of many new ways. 2000-05-05
Anonymous

I really don't think this is an entertainment industry conspiracy.

gwenwyn...

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People Dont Realise Writing Virus's Is not a science 2000-05-06
Anonymous

The infamous virus Love Bug in the only way was it impressive was that it was so simple like nearly every other virus ever written.

people think it take a lot to write a virus some times it can but it's not the coding that takes the time it's the concept.

Truthfully I think it was the press th...

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Modifacations are endless 2000-05-08
Anonymous

i think what people are not seeing it the fact that

since this is a visual basic script file the fact remains that it

can be changed. all i have seen are people stating how simple it is.

i just got a copy in my mail ox today. needless to say i didnt run it but i shure did

open the code and ge...

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Suspect found: Bill Gates 2000-05-08
Anonymous (2 replies)

Why dont people look at the real colpret here. Ok so some lamer got board and wrote a worm

but if Microsoft could write normal programs without gapping holes there would not be a problem. (or so big a one)

Microsoft's idea of "innovation" is everything working together etc - thats fine, but the...

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Suspect found: Bill Gates 2000-05-08
Anonymous

exactly - another case of MicroStupidity...

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Suspect found: Bill Gates (or anyone whom you dislike) 2000-05-09
Anonymous

It could happen in Netscape and Linux too, the only reason why it does not - absense (yet) of scripting capabilities.

BTW, in Netscape it is possible to use JavaScript for similar purpose (not really trivial, though).

And last - first in history worm (by Morris) was written for Unix :))

...

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Virus 2000-05-11
Anonymous

I dont believe we have to stop opening e-mail attachments. I do believe one should use a little common knowledge before opening the attachment. I mean look at the attachment

LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs (.txt.vbs) twin file extensions. Hmmmmmm I tend tothink I would be leary....

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Question 2000-05-12
Anonymous

My company got hit by the LoveBug, and our IT department was caught offguard. We're using McAfee for virus scanning, but obviously they only helped after the fact.

Since this worm hit Europe and Asia before hitting the U.S. first, had we only known it was out there before the work day started, w...

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