Re: readnotify.com

[Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers <bugtraq () planetcobalt net>]

On 2006-01-25 Ebeling, Jr., Herman Frederick wrote:
> From: Jim Halfpenny, Wednesday, 25 January, 2006 08:58
> > When you use readnotify.com you send your email to
> > user () domain com readnotify com and it remails it to use () domain com.
> > From what I remember readnotify.com remail your message and attach a
> > web bug i.e. an embedded image link. The image link is on one of
> > their web servers and this is used to identify when an email is read
> > and for how long.
> >
> > To foil it you can block loading images in HTML email. I'm not sure
> > if this covers the full extent of readnotify.com's tracking. You can
> > get a free trial of the service so you could sign up and send
> > yourself some messages.
>
>       What if someone has their client to send E-Mails as only text
> format, and not HTML?  Does readnotify.com change the format of an
> E-Mail?

Yes. They always send it out as HTML only.

>       Would closing the preview pane, and then selecting the MSG, and
> saving it as a text document defeat their tracking?

Not necessarily. The notification will also be triggered if you view the
saved message with a browser or re-open it into Outlook (or whatever
mail client your users are using) with HTML enabled.

Regards
Ansgar Wiechers
-- 
"All vulnerabilities deserve a public fear period prior to patches
becoming available."
--Jason Coombs on Bugtraq

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