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Could I have malware just from opening an email?

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  • 05-02-2013 4:40pm
    #1
    wanderrr
    Registered Users Posts: 25 ✭


    I received an email from a friend's address yesterday with the header Delivery Status Notification (Failure) - ordinarily I would delete such a dodgy-looking email on sight, but in this instance I just saw my friend's name and automatically opened the mail before I looked too closely (silly, I know).

    The mail was sent to all of her contacts and is obviously bad news, but there were no attachments to the mail, I did not click any links, and I deleted it as soon as I copped what it was. My question is, is it possible that something could have been installed on my computer simply by opening an email (in Gmail)? Without any attachments or enticing links in the email, is that a plausible route?

    I've run a virus scan with McAfee and searched for spyware with Spybot Search and Destroy, which have both come up clean, but I'm kicking myself for being so silly as to have opened it in the first place so I'm feeling very paranoid. Any advice or soothing words would be appreciated!


Comments

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    #2
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    Delivery Status Notification is normally a mail server responding to a sender that the delivery failed, fairly normal mail, if scans with AV and AM came back clean, I wouldn't be worried, you should be safe enough.

    21/25



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    #3
    sumeas
    Registered Users Posts: 32 ✭sumeas


    Apparently so, heard that even hovering over the email title can cause damage? I'm a bit skeptical about that one though...


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    #4
    wanderrr
    Registered Users Posts: 25 ✭wanderrr


    uch wrote: »
    Delivery Status Notification is normally a mail server responding to a sender that the delivery failed, fairly normal mail, if scans with AV and AM came back clean, I wouldn't be worried, you should be safe enough.

    Thanks for the reply. The reason I think it was dodgy (not just a normal failure to send) is that the mail was sent from my friend's account to all of her contacts with that heading, and she has confirmed to me that she was hacked. It definitely wasn't just a regular bounceback.


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    #5
    wanderrr
    Registered Users Posts: 25 ✭wanderrr


    sumeas wrote: »
    Apparently so, heard that even hovering over the email title can cause damage? I'm a bit skeptical about that one though...

    Why do you say "apparently so"?


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    #6
    sumeas
    Registered Users Posts: 32 ✭sumeas


    Hasn't happened to me or anyone I know, just heard it and don't believe everything I hear


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