Can you get a virus via Email w/out opening attachment?

[TygGer]

This may be a dumb question, but I've also thought that you CAN NOT get a virus via email without opening the attachment.

What about getting a virus via Email when you have HTML disabled? Or does this not matter?

 

[OZEE]

Depends on the virus and the attachment. If you're using Outlook or OE and have the preview pane open, some attachments will go ahead and "deploy" -- so if you insist on using an MS email client, turn off the #@$&*^ preview pane. Better answer - get Thunderbird or another non-MS email client, or just use web-based mail.

 

[WobbleWobble]

OZEE is right. You can get a virus in Outlook or OE via the preview pane. Those viruses are much less common, but are a danger. Keep your software updates up to snuff and you should be ok.

 

[TygGer]

I have the preview pane disabled, but will reading the email w/out opening the attachment infect me?

 

[slycat]

Originally posted by: TygGer
I have the preview pane disabled, but will reading the email w/out opening the attachment infect me?

probably not. even better protection if u use outlook2003.

 

[hdeck]

read messages in plain text

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: hdeck
read messages in plain text

Is there an option to enable that in outlook xp?

 

[Harvey]

There are viruses that do not require you to open an attachement. Just opening the email, itself, is enough. igust;

 

[TygGer]

Originally posted by: Harvey
There are viruses that do not require you to open an attachement. Just opening the email, itself, is enough. igust;

I thought that only applied if you have HTML enabled when reading/opening emails.

Im using Outlook 2000. Haven't searched to see if there is an option to read messages in plain text, but I know there is an option to send messages in plain text or HTML.


Ok, I'm going to digress a little... Can an virus come in the form of an notepad/regular text document?

 

[WobbleWobble]

Ok, I'm going to digress a little... Can an virus come in the form of an notepad/regular text document?

No

 

[TygGer]

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Ok, I'm going to digress a little... Can an virus come in the form of an notepad/regular text document?

No

Can you give me examples of file types that viruses can come in?

 

[Doggiedog]

You can get a worm without even sending or receiving email. Just leave your unprotected computer online and you are bound to get one.

 

[Fiveohhh]

Originally posted by: TygGer

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Ok, I'm going to digress a little... Can an virus come in the form of an notepad/regular text document?

No

Can you give me examples of file types that viruses can come in?

.exe(if a mail server will let it through)
.zip

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Ok, I'm going to digress a little... Can an virus come in the form of an notepad/regular text document?

No

To expand on this: there's no way that's publicly known to do that. It's theoretically possible that a file could be constructed to take advantage of possible bugs in Notepad that would cause damage if you opened the file in Notepad. But to the best of our collective knowledge it's never been done, and no one seriously thinks it's possible. But the truth is, no one can prove that it's not possible.

Welcome to the wonderful, ambiguous world of computer security.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Ok, my answer wasn't very thorough at all

There was a Proof of Concept virus for JPEG images where executable code could be embedded to an JPEG. As with text files, there hasn't been any viruses that exploit this. Most likely images and text files are safe, but it's not impossible.

 

[TygGer]

Ok. Thanks!

How about the question regarding virus infection by simply opening an email? Does it matter if you have HTML enabled or disabled? And if it does matter, is there a way in Outlook to only accept Email in plain text format?

TIA!

 

[OZEE]

Originally posted by: TygGer

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Ok, I'm going to digress a little... Can an virus come in the form of an notepad/regular text document?

No

Can you give me examples of file types that viruses can come in?

.pif, .exe, .com, .bat, .scr

a .zip can't technically have the virus, but it's currently (w32.beagle, among others) being used to house the executable file that carries the virus.

And *ALWAYS* look all the way to the end of the filename. There are several that are going around that are a somefilename.doc.pif All that you see is the .doc, so it's a Word documents -- WRONG. It's a PIF, which is executable. (those of us old enough to remember Win 3.1 remember those...)

There are also files that don't have to originate within your computer! NIMDA is a port-seeker that searches the net for open ports then attaches to your computer that way... That one would come in under your av protection because it was never "executed"...

 

[TygGer]

Originally posted by: TygGer
Ok. Thanks!

How about the question regarding virus infection by simply opening an email? Does it matter if you have HTML enabled or disabled? And if it does matter, is there a way in Outlook to only accept Email in plain text format?

TIA!

Thanks everyone. All the answers have been very helpful!

I just wanted some clarification in regards to the quoted question. Does anyone have an idea?