11-27-02: Trend Micro, Inc., just released information on a destructive Internet worm....

WORM_WINEVAR.A is a destructive Internet worm that runs on all Windows platforms. It uses its own Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) engine to propagate via email. It sends email messages with random subjects to addresses listed in the HTML files of the infected user's system. When sending email it uses a known exploit that causes the attachment to automatically execute when the message is viewed or previewed on Internet Explorer-based email clients, such as Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express. This exploit is known as Automatic Execution of Embedded MIME type. This worm is capable of terminating monitoring programs and antivirus products from system memory, and it deletes all files in local drives.

   If you have followed our upgrade advice, you should have little fear of the worm because the "known exploit" referred to above was addressed by Microsoft months and months ago. nbsp;Nonetheless we advice due caution when previewing and reading email, particularly messages that shown the 'attachment' icon and/or come from an unknown correspondent.

   For direct technical information about the worm(s), visit Trend's site at www.antivirus.com.

   Users of Microsoft Windows operating systems are vulnerable if they use an unpatched version of Internet Explorer/Outlook Express version 5.x.

   As always, DaleCo, S.P. advises users to keep their systems upgraded to the latest versions for enhanced protection against virii, worms, and other 'malware.'