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hi all patrick crispen at tourbus has devoted an entire column to bubbleboy i thought it important to pass on to you i subscribe to his regular e-mail reports highly recommended janet >Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 23:14:48 -0600 >From: Patrick Douglas Crispen <[log in to unmask]> >Subj: TOURBUS -- 11 NOVEMBER 1999 -- PC'S TAKE ON BUBBLEBOY > >Most people who know me well know that I think in analogies. Maybe >that's one reason why it took me eleven years to get my economics >degree (I had a HECK of a time thinking of an analogy for sterilized >central bank intervention in the FX market). :P > >Anyway, here is my analogy for the recent Bubbleboy virus scare. > >Imagine if the media discovered that millions of people around the >world were leaving the doors to their houses wide open. The media >would absolutely PANIC. TV reporters and newspaper journalists would >breathlessly warn you that > > YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE IN GRAVE DANGER! Because of open doors, > thieves can enter your house and steal all your possessions right > from under your nose! Gypsies can enter your home through these > same open doors and steal your children in the middle of the > night! And don't forget about the killer bees! For years we > have told you that you only have to worry about killer bee > attacks when you are outside, but this changes EVERYTHING! > Killer bees can be swarming down your street, see your open > door, swarm into your bedroom, and turn you and your loved ones > into human pin cushions! No one's bedroom is safe!! > > OH THE HUMANITY!!!! > >It is a shame that the media did not grow up in *MY* house, because >they could have learned a lot from my father. My dad, the Rev. Bob >"Bob" Crispen, taught me a great many things, but there was one piece >of advice he shared with me over and over again. That advice changed >my life forever. You ready for this? Here ya' go: SHUT THE DAMNED >DOOR!! > >What does this have to do with the Bubbleboy worm? Well, there is an >inadvertent 'open door' in the Windows operating system that *COULD* >conceivably make your computer vulnerable to outside attack. In >specific, a mean spirited hacker *COULD* 'walk through' this open door >on your Windows PC and read any file on your computer, delete specific >files or programs, or even completely erase your hard drive. >Bubbleboy is the first virus [actually it is a worm] that takes >advantage of this open door. > >The important thing to remember is that like our mythical bedroom- >inhabiting killer bees, Bubbleboy really ISN'T the problem. The >problem is the open door! Close the open door to your house and you >won't have to worry about killer bees in your bedroom; close the open >door in Windows and you won't have to worry about Bubbleboy (or its >ilk) causing damage to your computer. [It is amazing that the media >doesn't seem to understand this.] > >As I mentioned in my last TOURBUS post, Microsoft released a software >patch in late August that closes this open door in Windows. The patch >is called "Update for Security Vulnerabilities in 'Scriptlet.typlib' >and 'Eyedog' ActiveX Controls," and you can download it from Microsoft >by either running Windows Update -- step-by-step instructions on how >to do this can be found in my last TOURBUS post at >http://listserv.aol.com/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9911B&L=tourbus&P=R249&m=101 >-- or by downloading the patch directly from Microsoft at > ><A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/security/Bulletins/ms99-032.asp"> >http://www.microsoft.com/security/Bulletins/ms99-032.asp </A>. > >---------------------------------------------- >Who is affected by this so-called 'Open Door?' >---------------------------------------------- > >Technically, this open door affects everyone who uses Microsoft >Internet Explorer 4.X or 5.X on a PC. However, since Internet >Explorer is so closely integrated into the Windows operating system, >the truth is that *EVERYONE* who uses Windows 98 or 2000 is affected, >even if you don't ever use Internet Explorer. > >---------------------------------------------------- >Does this 'Open Door' affect Windows 95 or NT users? >---------------------------------------------------- > >I think so, but I honestly don't know. From what I can gather from >Microsoft, it does. [That download page I mentioned a few moments ago >offers patches for "Microsoft Windows 95 and 98" as well as "Microsoft >Windows NT."]. > >--------------------------------------- >Does this 'Open Door' affect Mac users? >--------------------------------------- > >Nope. This open door is in the Windows operating system, so it only >affects Windows users. [Chalk one up for 'thinking differently!'] > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >I read in the media that Bubbleboy only affects Microsoft Outlook and >Outlook Express! I don't use Outlook or Outlook express. Is my >system safe? >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >NO! Remember, the problem isn't the bees in the bedroom (Bubbleboy) >it is the open door that let the bees into the bedroom in the first >place (the "open door" in Windows). Bubbleboy is a worm that uses >Outlook or Outlook express to walk through the open door in Windows >and to conceivably do bad things to your system. Even if you don't >use Outlook or Outlook express, you still remain vulnerable because >the door remains open. Bubbleboy may not get you, but the next worm >might. The ONLY way to protect yourself from both Bubbleboy and >future attacks is to CLOSE THE DOOR by downloading and installing the >software patch from Microsoft. > >------------------------------------------------------------------ >I use Microsoft Outlook on a Mac. Should I worry about Bubbleboy? >------------------------------------------------------------------ > >Nope. Bubbleboy takes advantage of an open door in Windows. Since >Macs don't have this open door, Bubbleboy poses no threat to your >Mac. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Do I really have to download and install this software patch? Can't I >just update my virus definitions instead? >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >You really have to download and install the software patch. Updating >your virus definitions may protect you from Bubbleboy, but it will do >nothing about the open door in Windows. To protect yourself from the >open door, you're going to have to close it by downloading and >installing the software patch from Microsoft. > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >I Ran Windows Update, But I Didn't See The "Update for Security >Vulnerabilities in 'Scriptlet.typlib' and 'Eyedog' ActiveX Controls" >File In The Critical Updates! What Should I Do? >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Run Windows Update again. Once you get to the "Select Software" page, >click on the "Installation History" button at the top of the screen. >When the history finally loads, look for > > Update for Security Vulnerabilities in "Scriptlet.typlib" and > "Eyedog" ActiveX Controls (version 5,0,2720,2700) was > successfully installed. > >If you see that somewhere on the page, you have already installed the >security patch. If you don't see that, keep reading ... > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- >I Tried to Run Windows Update, But It Didn't Work! What Should I Do? >--------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Download the security patch directly from Microsoft at > ><A HREF="http://www.microsoft.com/security/Bulletins/ms99-032.asp"> >http://www.microsoft.com/security/Bulletins/ms99-032.asp </A>. > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >Killer bees in the bedroom? Patrick, you REALLY need to get out more! >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >You're telling me?! :P > >To sum up, don't worry about Bubbleboy ... worry about the open door! >If you download the software patch from Microsoft, you will protect >yourself from Bubbleboy and its progeny. [Bubbleboy is rather >innocuous -- it doesn't really do any terrible damage to your >computer. New strains of Bubbleboy may not be so kind. Until you >close the open door in Windows, you'll be vulnerable.] > >I hope this helped. :) > >Patrick Douglas Crispen ><http://www.TOURBUS.com> ><http://www.netsquirrel.com/>