Re: File on desktop called "~"

[Nick FitzGerald <nick () virus-l demon co uk>]

<rice () up edu> wrote:

> I'm starting to see some of my workstations getting a
> suspicious file on the desktop with the filename ~.
> Using a hex editor, you can see current email addresses
> that mail has been sent to. Neither Norton or Sophos
> detect a problem. Has anyone else seen this or have any
> infomation about what this might be?

This has been widely reported as a bug shipped in the recent OE 
cumulative patch announced in MS03-014.  Apparently, instead of 
making backup copies of the address book when entries are to be added 
or removed to files named something like <username>.WA~ this copy 
is made to a file named just ~.  In some cases -- I've not seen any 
explanation of the precise circumstances -- this is either made the 
desktop or a shortcut to it placed there (this confusion probably 
arises from user reports not being very reliable in such matters).

> All workstations are running win2k or winxp. Outlook
> 2002 is the email app. Task manager on the afflicted
> machines shows all the same processes of non-afflicted
> machines.

Is OE not able to be used at all on these machines?

A search of Google Groups that turns up many related message threads 
is:

   http://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=tilde&safe=images&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&as_ugroup=*outlookexpress&lr=&num=100&hl=en

(URL may wrap)


-- 
Nick FitzGerald
Computer Virus Consulting Ltd.
Ph/FAX: +64 3 3529854

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