From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V3 #176 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Thursday, May 31 2001 Volume 03 : Number 176 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] It seems that the virus warning is a hoax !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ["Arthu] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 31 May 2001 09:30:01 +0100 From: "Arthur Wood" Subject: [RS] It seems that the virus warning is a hoax !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Deal All, 90 minutes after I started sending out warning E-Mails I received the following...........if you received my earlier message, apologies. In fact two sources have now confirmed that this is a hoax !!!!!!!!!!!! Seems I'm doing nothing but aplogising today folks......... Arthur Wood. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Arthur Relax - this is a known virus hoax, further info at http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/hoaxes/sulfnbk.html for some reason everyone has taken this hoax to heart, I've had a few people email this to me If you're using Windows, and you get an email, telling you about some virus - please DON'T go into your c:\windows\command folder and delete a file called SULFNBK.exe! It's not a virus. The email is a hoax. That's a necessary Windows file. You could really mess up your system if you delete it. here's the text from the site giving further details of the hoax. Name: SULFNBK Type: Virus hoax Description: SULFNBK.EXE is a program which comes with the Windows 95/98 operating system and can be used to backup and restore long filenames. Although it is possible for the file to be infected by a virus, it has also been the subject of a hoax which has been distributed in several languages. Please note: The W32/Magistr-A virus is known to infect the file SULFNBK.EXE (this is unconnected with the hoax) so Sophos recommends users delete the file if they ever receive it as an email attachment. Here is the text of the virus hoax in English, Spanish Portuguese and Dutch: English version 1: IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU LOOK INTO YOUR COMPUTERS AND CHECK IF YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING VIRUS: sulfnbk.exe IF ANYBODY HAS THIS VIRUS IN C:\, DELETE IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE IT ATTACKS ON NEXT DAY 25 OF THE MONTH MAY AND WILL DELETE ALL FILES ON YOUR PC. THIS VIRUS CAME WITH E-MAIL AND IS INVISIBLE FOR VIRUS SCANNERS. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE TO OTHER PEOPLE. English version 2: There is another English language version of this hoax which claims that a virus will activate on 1st June 2001. Here is the text: It was brought to my attention yesterday that a virus is in circulation via email. I looked for it and to my surprise I found it on mine. .. please follow the directions and remove it from yours TODAY!!!!!!! I do not know how long it has been on my computer, but no Virus software can detect it. It will become active on June 1, 2001. It might be too late by then. It wipes out all files and folders on the hard drive. This virus travels thru E-mail and migrates to the 'C:\windows\command'folder. To find it and get rid of it off of your computer,do the following. Go to the "START" button. Go to "FIND" or "SEARCH" Go to "FILES & FOLDERS" Make sure the find box is searching the "C:" drive. Type in; SULFNBK.EXE Begin search. If it finds it, highlight it. Go to 'File' and delete it. Close the find Dialog box Open the Recycle Bin Find the file and delete it from the Recycle bin You should be safe. The bad part is: You need to contact everyone you have sent ANY E-mail to in the past few months. Many major companies have found this virus on their computers. Please help your friends !!!!!!!! DO NOT RELY ON YOUR ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE. McAFEE and NORTON CANNOT DETECT IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT BECOME A VIRUS UNTIL JUNE 1ST. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT OPEN THE FILE!!! Important: Many virus hoaxes: falsely claim to describe an extremely dangerous virus use pseudo-technical language to make impressive-sounding (but impossible) claims falsely claim that the report was issued or confirmed by a well-known company ask you to forward it to all your friends and colleagues As usual, you are urged not to pass on warnings of this kind, as the continued re-forwarding of these hoaxes simply wastes time and email bandwidth. It is possible that you may receive a hoax via email with a file attached. Obviously, such file attachments should be treated with caution as they may be virus infected. Sophos recommends deleting virus hoax emails, whether they contain file attachments or not. Sophos suggests a policy to help prevent hoaxes from spreading in your company. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V3 #176 ***********************************