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Sober worm stalls MSN, Hotmail
Cnet ^ | 12/02/2005 | Greg Sandoval

Posted on 12/04/2005 2:17:40 AM PST by Panerai

The pesky Sober worm is to blame for disrupting e-mail traffic between Comcast account holders and users of Microsoft-based e-mail, Redmond said on Friday.

A variant of Sober known as Win32/Sober.Z@mm is pummeling servers at Hotmail and MSN with "unusually high mail load," causing delays in e-mail delivery to Hotmail and MSN customers, said Brooke Richardson, MSN's lead product manager. Richardson also indicated that Internet service providers besides Comcast may be having problems directing e-mail to Hotmail and MSN servers.

"We are working with Comcast and other ISPs to address (the) issues," Richardson said. "We're actively working to take the appropriate steps to remedy the situation as rapidly as possible. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience."

Blog reports say that some Comcast subscribers, when sending e-mail to a Hotmail or MSN account, have received an error message saying their message was not received. However, Microsoft says that all e-mails, while some may be delayed, are eventually getting through.

The Sober worm first appeared in 2003 and can hijack a Windows-based computer and force it to repeatedly send spam e-mails. The continuous e-mailing can lead to overloaded servers and reduced network performance. Last month, a variant of the Sober worm was spread as an attachment that claimed to be an old class photo sent by a schoolmate.


TOPICS: Technical
KEYWORDS: comcast; hotmail; msn; soberworm; virus; windows; worm

1 posted on 12/04/2005 2:17:41 AM PST by Panerai
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To: Panerai
Sober and its variants are written by spammers seeking to circumvent spam controls on the Internet. So far it hasn't helped their junk flood people's e-mail boxes.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

2 posted on 12/04/2005 2:20:37 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: EveningStar

sounds familiar.


3 posted on 12/04/2005 2:24:47 AM PST by FOG724 (http://gravenimagemusic.com/)
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To: An.American.Expatriate

could this be your problem from earlier?


4 posted on 12/04/2005 4:11:27 AM PST by infidel29 ("We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." --Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Panerai

People who deliberately write Virus's should be treated as seriously as someone who hijacks the US mail or Robs a Post Office. Ten years sitting in a prison with no computer should be the minimum . Destroying people's property for the fun of it is no joke.


5 posted on 12/04/2005 4:17:29 AM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: Panerai

I'm amazed no one appears to be seeking out the perverts who write these worms.


6 posted on 12/04/2005 6:57:54 AM PST by aimhigh
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To: All
perverts who write these worms.

Is it N****n? I think all the viruses are started by those who sell the software to prevent them.

7 posted on 12/04/2005 7:05:33 AM PST by Utah Binger (Proud To Have Recovered!)
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