how do I report a new virus? to whom?

vinnyfitz

Hi
I got a file overnight spoofing as from the "MS Outlook 5 Team and with an .EXE file which appears to be called moltamdo.exe. I have not opened the file but wonder is there some central register or something I should be sending it to. (Google has never heard of moltamdo.exe)

Any advice?

Alanm

AFAIK, most of the big companies will have a way of reporting directly to them (e.g. http://us.mcafee.com/root/faqs.asp?faq=453).

There are different virus's (virii?) out there that can randomise the name of the attachment so that might be why you can't find this with google!

Oriel

For Symantec:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/submit.html

That actually gets submitted to the Symantec team here in Dublin, you may like to know.

The chances of the virus (if it is one) being a new one is very slim. Usually, you read about it before you get it. That is of course, unless you (cough) create it yourself...

Good luck!

Steve.

vinnyfitz

I'm grateful for both responses but in order to do what either Macafee or Symantec suggest you have to open the file first - I'm trying to avoid that bit.

Mac daddy

Originally posted by vinnyfitz
but in order to do what either Macafee or Symantec suggest you have to open the file first - I'm trying to avoid that bit.

Well then you can either delete it or open it :rolleyes:

vinnyfitz

but...
I thought it might be more helpful to others if when we spot dodgy stuff we report it rather than allowing others get bitten!

Maybe I got that wrong?

PHB

Open it in a newcafe, where the PC's are imaged nighty.

seamus

The name of the file can be quite irrelevant.

If you don't have a virus scanner that recognises the virus, try sending it to a hotmail account. Their virus checker should pick it up, and give you the name of it. If it doesn't pick it up, then you have a new virus.

vinnyfitz

Thanks for that. I sent it to a Yahoo address and then scanned it with their version of Norton - it turned out to be Bug bear somehow in Irish!

"File name: Moltam_do_chruinniz_le_Bardas_Atha_Cliath.doc.exe
File type: application/x-msdownload
Scan result: Virus W32.Bugbear.B@mm found. File not cleaned"

Now I want to know why Norton - which I also have installed on my PC did not spot it - ought it not be scanning attachments to emails that come in to me?

UPDATE OK so I'm dumb - checked my Norton settings and found that when first set up the (not very obvious) option to scan incoming emails had not been selected! Given that that is why I have been paying for Norton for three years I feel like I have been wasting my money. [Of course I also feel lucky I never caught a virus in all that time!].

Thanks again folks

seamus

Originally posted by vinnyfitz
Now I want to know why Norton - which I also have installed on my PC did not spot it - ought it not be scanning attachments to emails that come in to me?

I dunno, having never owned a copy of anti-virus software (don't bother commenting).

Perhaps there's some sort of plugin for Norton that lets it scan emails while outlook is d/l'ing them, or maybe it's as simple as a setting in norton to scan all incoming web traffic.

Kali

Originally posted by seamus
Perhaps there's some sort of plugin for Norton that lets it scan emails while outlook is d/l'ing them, or maybe it's as simple as a setting in norton to scan all incoming web traffic.

aye you have to set it up to act basically as a mail proxy.. its in the options, it should give a list of current accounts for Outlook or OE, and you tick which ones you want to enable protection on.

astrofool

2002 and 2003 enable the amil scanning automatically now. It's just as cheap to buy the newest version than to buy the subscription. Better virus engine too usually.