Jump to content

Viruses Not being Caught by Spamcop


Recommended Posts

Over the past three months, I have received e-mail eight times which contained a virus. My anti-virus software caught the viruses but why didn't Spamcop's filters find them? Today I received one with a false MP3 file attached. My firewall catches them as does McAfee but they got through Spamcop. How? :(

KenH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are they fairly new viruses that are being caught? It takes time for definitions to be implemented.

Are the messages definitely passing through the spamcop servers? Can you post the headers because maybe one of the servers needs to be updated.

I have not had any viruses make it through the spamcop system to my account, but that does not mean you have not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They definately went through Spamcop's servers. All of my e-mail is routed through Spamcop.

The following is the header and message of the latest virus. I have x'd out my addresses to keep others who may see this message from harvesting them. The zlq extension on the virus was changed by my firewall to prevent it from being executed. This was a variant of the Bagle virus. The same virus came in a day or two earlier but I deleted the message. The prior six viruses were also deleted. I don't recall which viruses they were. The Bagle virus was new at this time but the prior ones were fairly well known.

X-Persona: <Spamcop>

Return-Path: <ice[at]countryrv.com>

Delivered-To: spamcop-net-xxxxxxx[at]spamcop.net

Received: (qmail 25749 invoked from network); 20 Jul 2004 12:46:57 -0000

Received: from unknown (192.168.1.101)

by blade1.cesmail.net with QMQP; 20 Jul 2004 12:46:57 -0000

Received: from dns2.canberranet.com.au (HELO canberranet.com.au) (202.168.8.2)

by mailgate.cesmail.net with SMTP; 20 Jul 2004 12:46:57 -0000

Received: from Service2.org (unverified [66.63.237.180])

by canberranet.com.au (SurgeMail 1.9b) with ESMTP id 119242

for multiple; Tue, 20 Jul 2004 22:51:14 +1000

Return-Path: <ice[at]countryrv.com>

Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 07:41:49 -0600

To: "Kenh" <xxxx[at]xxxxx.org>

From: "Ice" <ice[at]countryrv.com>

Subject: Re:

Message-ID: <hjgldglfbboksawuqan[at]icoste.org>

MIME-Version: 1.0

Content-Type: multipart/mixed;

boundary="--------znotujijepiistgtasks"

X-Server: High Performance Mail Server - http://surgemail.com

X-SpamDetect: *: 1.600000 X-Verify-MX present=1.6

X-Verify-MX: <ice[at]countryrv.com> senders ip (ch=66.63.237.180 msg=66.63.237.180, net=66.63.) not in mx data dom=countryrv.com ipname=port180.tb3.industryinet.com (12.14.128.126)

X-IP-stats: No info recorded yet

X-External-IP: 66.63.237.180

X-spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.63 (2004-01-11) on blade1

X-spam-Level:

X-spam-Status: hits=0.9 tests=HTML_30_40,HTML_MESSAGE,MIME_HTML_ONLY

version=2.63

X-SpamCop-Checked: 192.168.1.101 202.168.8.2 66.63.237.180

>foto3 and MP3

MP3.zlq

KenH :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the other hand, why the alarm? All anti-virus stuff is pretty much reactionary, i.e., it's only after the virus has been written, collected by someone, submitted to someone, analyzed by someone, databits coded by someone, database updated by someone, and only then does one have the opportunity to "update your copy" of the database .... some where in there is a factor called "time" ....

On the flip side, how much e-mail do you get from (usually) unknown folks that include attachments that aren't spam?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Over the past three months, I have received e-mail eight times which contained a virus. My anti-virus software caught the viruses but why didn't Spamcop's filters find them?

Personally, although I'm happy enough for SpamCop to catch viruses, I don't have a high expectation that each and every one will be trapped. In fact I anticipate that some viruses will slip through. I'd say eight in 3 months isn't too bad a record - not brilliant but OK. If you have AV software on your machine then you're being rightly cautious but I expect that even then, you'd still be careful not to open file attachments from uncertain sources.

I have one mail account which isn't filtered by SpamCop. It receives viral attachments every week or two - about half of these are not caught by my AV software unless I try to actually open them so presumably some viruses are not so readily identified unless an attempt to open the infected attachment .

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am extremely careful (obviously) but I am surprised that these things got through Spamcop. If it is a new virus found within the past day or two, I can understand it but not when it is a well known virus.

In terms of volume of e-mail, I get an incredible volume, often from people I do not know but which have legitimate attachments. I do a lot of volunteer work internationally and many people from many countries send me files. I have to be extremely cautious about them which Is why I use Spamcop plus McAfee plus ZoneAlarm plus a router with a firewall.

KenH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...