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Can viruses be transmitted by merely opening emails?

  • 26-08-2007 8:40pm
    #1
    Carsinian Thau
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,054 ✭✭✭


    I know not to download any attachments from people that I don't know and to double check anything that comes with attachments from people that I do know when I don't expect them but is there are danger from just opening an email?


Comments

  • #2
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    I wouldn't think it's very likely from a web based mail interface, but there's a chance that virusses could exploit weaknesses in specific mail clients such as Outlook Express


  • #3
    Dorsanty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Dorsanty


    Modern clients tend to be better about this sort of attack.

    The main way to get someone who just opens the mail is to use html mail with embedded javascript or some other embedded content like images.

    Most modern mail clients shouldn't run this code by default but I only know for sure that Mozilla Thunderbird doesn't. Also outlook 2007 switched to using Word for it's html rendering so that should be safer then 2003 which used IE. There was a flaw and exploits for the windows image renedering software (GDI) a few years back but that was quickly patched.

    Keep your OS and software up to date and you'll be fine. Always run a virus scanner. There's no excuse since you can get them for free.


  • #4
    Khannie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Carsinian Thau wrote:
    is there are danger from just opening an email?

    Basically, you're safe. I can't remember the last time there was a virus spread around by a vulnerability in the javascript engine of a client.


  • #5
    ressem
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,426 ✭✭✭ressem


    It's better to have your mail client not to display images or download content from the web by default, as there are gif/jpeg processing flaws found every now and again in the image processing filters.
    Unfortunately many clients autodownload if the sender's address is in your contact list.

    In practice I can't say no danger, there's a few image processing issues reportedly left unfixed on the Mac for example. If you're using an old version of Office and/or it hasn't been patched since last September then there might be similar vulnerabilities on your client.

    But you're usually going to be fine.


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