SirCam Virus

As I just posted on GameBanshee...

Well, thanks to the wonderful individual who wrote the SirCam virus, I've been forced to remove all GameBanshee editors from the webmasters@gamebanshee.com mailing list. This was my only choice, since we're using up all of our bandwidth by having literally hundreds of emails flood everyone's mailbox here at GB. Chances are that this is even going to cost us more money this month for bandwidth usage.

Just as an example, this morning I downloaded over 200 infected emails (not to mention regular ones as well), many of them with over a 1 MB attachment. Now, take those 200 emails and distribute them to all the editors on our mailing list and you have a serious chunk of bandwidth. This is by far the worst email virus I have seen, and unfortunately people who aren't even infected (like myself) still get to suffer. I've been telnetting into our server and cleaning out our mailboxes, but legitimite emails are getting deleted as well.

Anyway, if you think there's a possibility your system is infected, Symantec has released a removal tool, which you can download here. Please run it, as I'm sure many of the emails we're getting flooded with are from people who have visited GameBanshee and have emailed webmasters@gamebanshee.com in the past. Once the infected emails slow down, our webmasters mailing list will be back online and things will return to normal. I apologize for the inconvenience.

[Darkpoet]

Thanks Buck, for the heads up.

[Mr Sleep]

Having spent several hours removing a virus from 5 different machines i can totally appreciate your problems.

BTW it might be more sensible to manually remove the virus anyone who knows how to use regedit and also has some technical knowledge email me or go to norton and check out their manual removal. In my experience the fixes are not always as thourough as they should be

I hope no one is unduly assaulted by this atrocious virus

[Aegis]

Hmm... these email viruses are growing out of hand. I think a lot of email servers need a more in-depth scanner for these things...

[Mr Sleep]

@Aegis True but mostly it is the fault of inexperienced users. NEVER open unsolicited mail and always be careful with attachments of any kind. I think as people become more technology savvy then viruses will become obsolete.

if anyone is really paranoid about viruses it might be worth changing your mail client. Most of the viruses take advantage of Outlook and it's poor security features.

Another thing one could do is turn off VB scripting in your web browser setup, nearly all the viruses run off VB script.

[Brink]

Thanks for letting us know, Buck

[fable]

@Aegis is right. It takes a certain degree of, well, idiocy, to open a piece of email that says "Here's something for you!" and includes a file attachment. Idiocy, or at least a 300-year-residence on a desert island. The naivety of somebody who would want to see what the file offers is beyond belief.

[Aegis]

*Aegis receives e-mail*

"Here's something for you"

*His interest has been piqued, and decides to open the file*

*Aegis hears many buzzers and warners as he opens the file, but ignores them.*

*Aegis's computor melts, Aegis is heart broken.*

*Aegis buys new computor*

*Process repeats*

[Xandax]

*LOL* at Aegis.

Well I never opens files I get on my computer (eventhough I've anti-virus) unless I've asked for the file.

But you are right that most email-virus' that are forwarded are due to peoples inexperience and/or thoughtlessness and/or stupidity.
We had a virus at work a short time ago, becuase my boss opened an attached file (Magister virus) and then it went around for 3 weeks causing rampage in our systems.
Fortunally it was my boss' fault

[Mr Sleep]

Magistr was also fairly nasty, i have managed to remove that one too

[Xandax]

It is clasified as among the worlds 5 most dangerous virus'.

But the problem at work was not only that we got it - but we have a membershipsystem located at another office with a direct dialup-line so when we was infected - they got the virus from us - then we got our computeres cleaned, but they had not noticed the virus because they lacked an anti-virus, so next time we called up to this system (happens like 50+ times a day) they virus just keep comming back. Well they did get their systems clean also at last

[Brink]

Erm, well, I don't receive files from anyone

[Xandax]

Quote:

Originally posted by Brink: <STRONG>Erm, well, I don't receive files from anyone </STRONG>

*LOL* - poor you

[fable]

...And then, when someone finally awakens to the problem of a computer virus, they slip into Titanic mode. I visited a chatroom once where somebody tried to send me an executable as soon as I arrived. Of course, I laughed, and revealed what was going on to all the inmates. One of them immediately typed GODDDD!!!!!! DON'T OPEN THE FILE, WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T OPEN IT DESTROY THE FILE!!! IT'S A VIRUS!!!!!!!!

[Aegis]

I guess I've benn reletivly lucky with that sort of thing. Not once has my computor ccrashed due to virus. There were some problems when installed a video card with a hammer, but thats about it.



P.S. The card still worked. The comp. didn't.