Finding out where e-mails are coming from
 

I've been getting some e-mails that are a little odd and I'm wondering if there is anyway I can find out where they are coming from - with respect to location, (i.e. UK or US). Does anyone know how to find this out? I use talk21.com and Yahoo.com if that makes any difference. Thanks :)

Re: Finding out where e-mails are coming from
 

Look at the header information on them and run a whois/traceroute etc on the sender's IP.

Re: Finding out where e-mails are coming from
 

They don't have a .pif file or a .zip file attached to them to they? Don't open the file! I've been getting some dodgy ones like that, apparently it's a strain of the Netsky virus.

Funny you should post this....

I have had a load of Emails lately with virus's.... subject heading Re: Thanks and things simple like that.....

Luckily they are scanned prior to delivery, we have good security on the puter...... so no harm done......

Haven't had this many ever..........

???????????? coincidence?????????????????:confused:

I had a spate of them on talk21 a while back, and at least one of them had a nasty attached to it that even Norton Anti Virus couldn't spot.

I ended up having to completely rebuild my PC.

After that I stopped using the Talk21 POP servers and only use the online viewer. I NEVER open an attachment now unless I know exactly what it is...

DaveC and Honeymommy: Yes there are sometimes attachments and I never open them. I too have subjects like 're: thanks for your e-mail' and 're:urgent' I'm sure they start them off with 're' so it looks like I e-mailed them first... very sneaky!

Ulujain... I have no idea how to run a whois/traceroute... can you help me out?

Thanks guys :)

The IP address is the address for the specific computer you're getting the emails from.

To get the IP address if you're using Outlook right click on the email and look for properties. The IP addy will be a series of numbers. Then copy and paste the numbers into a prog like this one...

http://www.networldmap.com/TryIt.htm

If you're using web based mail just look at the header info. Remember to run a virus scan and update your definitions.

Never heard of a virus destroying a whole computer before.

Use full headers view or whatever Outlook Express offers. You'll see a bunch of stuff that may look like this:

Return-path: <[email protected]>
Envelope-to: [email protected]
Delivery-date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 20:01:44 -0400
Received: from ulujain by mecca.myhostdns.com with local-bsmtp (Exim 4.24)
id 1BGo8W-0005Vk-7s
for [email protected]; Thu, 22 Apr 2004 20:01:44 -0400
Received: from [66.163.170.83] (helo=smtp813.mail.sc5.yahoo.com)
by mecca.myhostdns.com with smtp (Exim 4.24)
id 1BGo8V-0005Vd-W4
for [email protected]; Thu, 22 Apr 2004 20:01:44 -0400
Received: from unknown (HELO KHHK) ([email protected]@68.75.30.241 with login)
by smtp813.mail.sc5.yahoo.com with SMTP; 22 Apr 2004 23:57:37 -0000
Message-ID: <000701c428c5$ab12f070$6de3fea9@KHHK>

See the bit in bold? That's what to look for.
Then go to http://www.whois.sc and enter that number to find out the iowner of the IP block. The whois info should return an abusae address. Forward the entire email to that abuse address.

Hope this helps!

I receive about 50% bogus/virus emails as described above, this started about 3months ago when I moved to the US. This is on an email addy that I use on 5 forums and for personal stuff like emailing friends.. I use a different one for registering things and the like.... I have now been informed that spyware basically distribites your email addy from peoples addressbooks, from messenger lists, from anything it can find. Personally I use a spybot (ultimategeek) which find all immediately tho you do have to pay. Others may not and I'm guessing this is where the problem came from; someone elses machine being accessed without them knowing.

Once you're on the lists, you on for life.... when my spam/virus level reaches more than 60% I'll simply change email addy... its a problem with most email addys these days. My Hotmail account is 90% spam but I only use that one for messenger.

The return path is 99% bogus too BTW.

Nah, it didn't burst into flames or anything, I just meant my hard disk, reinstalling the operating system etc. It didn't matter how many fixes and anti virus checks I ran, it still couldn't shift the problem.

So it was time for a low level format....

Interesting you say that, since moving to States I have same problem with several sendings of the Netsky viruses everyday, I actually don't get the e-mails my server stops them and sends me a message to let me know about it, very luck I would say or I would be mega infected!!!
Suzie

Whats a good one to use to check for spyware and where do you get it. I would like to check my computer for spyware as my paranoia level has been well up lately!

While we're on this subject of tracing e-mails.... I have a French friend that has been living in the UK for many years now but she e-mailed me the other day and I can't tell if it is from the UK or France. I wanted to visit her but I don't know where she is. I know the simple way to find out is to ask her but I only get occasional e-mails as she is traumatised and beside herself trying to cope with her toddler whos is terminally ill. I really wanted to see her and the little one before I left the UK as it has been a few months since I last went to her house. They were having treatment at Great Ormond St but things have become too advanced and I suspect they may have gone back to France to be with family.... it's terribly terribly heartbreaking.
Can anyone tell me if there is a way to see which country she was in when she last wrote to me? - I suspect it is France which would make it really hard to accept that I won't be able to see them.
Thanks everyone.

Spybot is very good for keeping spyware out or removing it.

On the subject of Netsky/Sasser etc. There is a free download at McAfee's website called Stinger.exe which will remove about 40 current infections. I downloaded it on a clean PC, burned it to a CD and used it to clean out a Sasser infection from a friend's PC yesterday. Worked like a dream.

Stinger from McAfee

Spybot download

Can we get the exact address of this unwanted mails or just the area, town , citie etc...........There are a few heads that I would like to role lol:D

Have you tried AVG antivirus which is for free?

yes we have this on our PC and it has been excellent. The guys who installed our NTL broadband recommended it.

It's unlikely you will get anything other than an ISP name from an IP address...you may get the city he/she is in if it's a small local ISP...forget it if it's AOL.

I used to have some very cool software that would trace an IP. You were presented with a map of the world and a box to put in the IP address...hit TRACE and watch a line track the route an e-mail or IP adress took to get to you...was always intresting when you watched the little line go to a couple of U.S. states and you're thinking "ah the ******'s in New York...and then it whizzes across the Atlantic and finishes in Bolton, England :D
I might still have that actually.

I had a series of unwanted malicious emails a while back. I had a feeling it was from an ex and managed to trace the ISP. I contacted them and they were great. They closed his account and I never heard another thing from him. It is worth pursuing.

Re: Finding out where e-mails are coming from
 

This is probably due to the mass mailing worms going around lately. For instance, here is a description of worm_bagle.j quoted from http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32baglej.html

"
W32/Bagle-J

Aliases
I-Worm.Bagle.i, W32/Bagle.j@MM, Win32/Bagle.J, W32.Beagle.J@mm, WORM_BAGLE.J

Type
Win32 worm

Detection
A virus identity (IDE) file which provides protection is available now from the Latest virus identities section, and is incorporated into the April 2004 (3.80) release of Sophos Anti-Virus.
Sophos has received many reports of this worm from the wild.

Note: Sophos has been detecting W32/Bagle-J since 23:21 GMT on 2 March 2004. This new IDE has been issued to enhance detection.


Description
NOTE: W32/Bagle-J sends itself as a password protected ZIP file that is detected as W32/Bagle-Zip.
W32/Bagle-J is an email worm which sends itself via its own SMTP engine to addresses harvested from your hard disk. The worm searches for files with the extensions WAB, TXT, MSG, HTM, XML, DBX, MDX, EML, NCH, MMF, ODS, CFG, ASP, PHP, PL, ADB, TBB, SHT, UIN and CGI.

The worm copies itself to the Windows system folder as IRUN4.EXE and creates the file IRUN4.EXEOPEN (a copy of the worm in a password protected ZIP format) in the same folder.

W32/Bagle-J adds the value:

ssate.exe = <SYSTEM>\irun4.exe
to the registry key:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

This means that W32/Bagle-J runs every time you logon to your computer.

Emails have the following characteristics:

Subject lines:

E-mail account security warning.
Notify about using the e-mail account.
Warning about your e-mail account.
Important notify about your e-mail account.
Email account utilization warning.
Notify about your e-mail account utilization.
E-mail account disabling warning.

Message texts (constructed from a choice of the following):

"Dear user of <domain name>,"
"Dear user of <domain name> gateway e-mail server,"
"Dear user of e-mail server "<domain name>","
"Hello user of <domain name> e-mail server,"
"Dear user of "<domain name>" mailing system,"
"Dear user, the management of <domain name> mailing system wants to let you know that,"

and

"Your e-mail account has been temporary disabled because of unauthorized
access."
"Our main mailing server will be temporary unavaible for next two days,
to continue receiving mail in these days you have to configure our free
auto-forwarding service."
"Your e-mail account will be disabled because of improper using in next
three days, if you are still wishing to use it, please, resign your
account information."
"We warn you about some attacks on your e-mail account. Your computer may
contain viruses, in order to keep your computer and e-mail account safe,
please, follow the instructions."
"Our antivirus software has detected a large ammount of viruses outgoing
from your email account, you may use our free anti-virus tool to clean up
your computer software."
"Some of our clients complained about the spam (negative e-mail content)
outgoing from your e-mail account. Probably, you have been infected by
a proxy-relay trojan server. In order to keep your computer safe,
follow the instructions."

and

"For more information see the attached file."
"Further details can be obtained from attached file."
"Advanced details can be found in attached file."
"For details see the attach."
"For details see the attached file."
"For further details see the attach."
"Please, read the attach for further details."
"Pay attention on attached file."

and

"For security reasons attached file is password protected. The password is
"<random_password_for_the_ZIP_archive>"."
"For security purposes the attached file is password protected. Password is
"<random_password_for_the_ZIP_archive>"."
"Attached file protected with the password for security reasons. Password is
<random_password_for_the_ZIP_archive>."
"In order to read the attach you have to use the following password:
<random_password_for_the_ZIP_archive>."

and

"Sincerely,"
"Best wishes,"
"Have a good day,"
"Cheers,"
"Kind regards,"
"The Management,"

and

"The <domain_name> team, http://www.<domain_name>"

Attached file (a password protected ZIP archive):

Attach
Information
Readme
Document
TextDocument
TextFile
MoreInfo
Message

W32/Bagle-J opens up a backdoor on port 2745 and listens for connections. If it receives the appropriate command it attempts to download and execute a file. W32/Bagle-J also makes a web connection to a remote URL, thus reporting the location and open port of infected computers.

W32/Bagle-J attempts to terminate several Anti-Virus and security related
processes:

ATUPDATER.EXE
AVWUPD32.EXE
AVPUPD.EXE
LUALL.EXE
DRWEBUPW.EXE
ICSSUPPNT.EXE
ICSUPP95.EXE
UPDATE.EXE
NUPGRADE.EXE
ATUPDATER.EXE
AUPDATE.EXE
AUTODOWN.EXE
AUTOTRACE.EXE
AUTOUPDATE.EXE
AVXQUAR.EXE
CFIAUDIT.EXE
MCUPDATE.EXE
NUPGRADE.EXE
OUTPOST.EXE
AVLTMAIN.EXE

W32/Bagle-J searches the mapped drives for folders containing the string "shar" in the folder name. If such a folder is found, the worm copies itself to the folder using the following filenames:

Microsoft Office 2003 Crack, Working!.exe
Microsoft Office XP working Crack, Keygen.exe
Microsoft Windows XP, WinXP Crack, working Keygen.exe
Porno Screensaver.scr
Porno, sex, oral, anal cool, awesome!!.exe
Porno pics arhive, xxx.exe
Serials.txt.exe
Windown Longhorn Beta Leak.exe
Windows Sourcecode update.doc.exe
XXX hardcore images.exe
Opera 8 New!.exe
WinAmp 5 Pro Keygen Crack Update.exe
WinAmp 6 New!.exe
Matrix 3 Revolution English Subtitles.exe
Adobe Photoshop 9 full.exe
Ahead Nero 7.exe
ACDSee 9.exe

If the date is after 25 April 2005, W32/Bagle-J terminates itself and deletes all the registry entries it created when it first ran.

Hidden inside the Bagle-J worm's code is the following text, which is never displayed:

Hey,NetSky, **** off you bitch, don't ruine our bussiness, wanna start a war?


Recovery
Please follow the instructions for removing W32/Bagle-J.
"