I opened one of those greeting card emails...

19 years ago

...the ones that turned out to be a virus.

This happened a few weeks ago, when I first received one of them. I clicked on the link, but it didn't take me to a website. So when I heard these messages were infected, I thought I might be okay. but I just read the following about them:

Clicking on the link in the email, which is in the form of a numeric IP address, takes surfers to a compromised zombie computer network hosting the JSecard-A Trojan.

This malware then tries to download additional code from the Internet which Sophos intercepts as Mal/Dorf-C.

"Rather than being sent to a real e-card website when you click on the link, you are visiting someone else's compromised computer which is hosting some very malicious code designed to seriously infect your Windows computer," explained Cluley.

Is there any way for me to check to see if my computer has been infected? Any action I should be taking at this point?

Thanks,

Susan

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Comments (10)

alisande
Original Author
19 years ago
I should have added that I have Windows Defender and AdAware on this computer. WD says "No unwanted or harmful software is detected. Your computer is running normally." I run AwAware often.
mes444
19 years ago
Do you have an anti virus program on your computer? The ones you mention are for spyware and if this was a virus, you'd need a virus remover.
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randy_ca
19 years ago
You could click start/ run/ type> MRT and run a scan.

I don't know how you heard these messages were infected.
alisande
Original Author
19 years ago
Well, I'm glad I asked! I thought Windows Defender was an anti-virus program. I have AntiVir on my other computer, and had it on this one, too, until it was removed when some work was done on the computer.

So when I read Mes444's post I immediately downloaded Avast. It did a scan and didn't find anything.

As for how I heard the messages were infected, I saw it on a couple of GardenWeb forums. Then I Googled greeting card virus and found the quote I posted above.

Thanks!

Susan
daylilydayzed
19 years ago
I have gotten several of those greeting card emails. I just delete them since I don't recognize who they are listed as coming from, Neighbor or Colleague.
cboy
19 years ago
Microsoft has a free Malicious Software Removal Tool if you
would like to try it.
KB890830
I started using it about a week ago. I can't say if it has
value or not.
Lydia Percell
19 years ago
Susan, I was taken in by the same thing. Did you get an error message saying the page couldn't be loaded? I did.

I posted here for help and got nothing useful. I called my ISP and explained what happened. They suggested that since the page didn't load, I was probably okay. That wasn't reassuring enough so I did more research. I'm STILL not sure the trojan wasn't loaded on my computer.

There's a free program you can download called HijackThis that lists everything running on your computer. You can print a log file and have someone knowledgeable look at it to see if something is hiding. I did the first part and now need to find that knowledgeable person. There are supposed to be expert forums online where you can submit your file log and they'll tell you if there's anything suspicious. Not sure if I feel secure using that at this point.

BTW, HijackThis is rated very highly by the editors of Cnet.
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: HijackThis download/review
randy_ca
19 years ago
icspotz, you can paste your hijackthis log file at this link in the textbox, then click Analyze.
It'll show you what is safe or bad. The expert forums use the same thing, except they will tell you what is bad rather than you having to decide for yourself from the analyze.
HijackThis log file analysis

Only thing wrong with greeting card emails is that you get added to spam lists. It would be very rare to get a virus from one of these.

cboy, click start/ run/ type> MRT
It's been there forever, a newer definition update is put out each month.
biwako_of_abi
19 years ago
icspotz: There is a very helpful site that gives out free help. They have someone who analyzes people's HijackThis logs, but they help with all sorts of computer problems and have "saved" me more than once.

Smart Computing magazine also offers free support via telephone and email, but that is probably only for subscribers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tech support guy
randy_ca
19 years ago
biwako_of_abi,
Thanks for the link to Tech Support Guy.
It looks like a nice forum.

I opened one of those greeting card emails...

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