back to article Scammers skirt spam shields with help from Adobe Flash

Online scammers have found a new way to skirt anti-spam filters, this time by making use of Adobe Flash files hosted on free websites. Spam messages with innocuous-looking content contain links to Flash-based files on ImageShack.com and elsewhere, according to a report from anti-spam service MessageLabs. Then commands embedded …

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I wonder...

    ... If medsplacesuch.com is the same site I use to get spam from. A friend used to live a few blocks away from the address listed on the web site [that area has mosely apartments and small shopping centers]. Obviously the site included fake seals from Verisign [link pointed locally instead on Verisnign's web site], Ontario ministry [scanned and modified PDF], Better Business Bureau [link pointed locally instead on Verisnign's web site], etc.

  3. Jesse
    Paris Hilton

    Spamwave

    I'm just surprised to see that a spam blocker would allow a message with a link to .swf through no matter who it was supposedly from. This is really a "duh, whoops!" moment for whoever writes that spam shield software.

  4. Gordon Fecyk
    Stop

    And I thought Messagelabs was above this kind of fearmongering

    Isn't it their job to block junk e-mail like this? Haven't they proclaimed the death of their own company before, claiming in 2001 that e-mail would become unusable by 2007 / 2008?

    Jesse has it right. This is a "duh" moment for an outfit that claims to block this garbage.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    What a relief

    I'll be able to order my Viagra from the office again!

  6. Spacequad AntiSpam

    Blocking content

    If its such a big problem for those that are getting spam with links in the email pulling in content from other sites, then keyword block them. Its not that all sites have bad content, but if your constantly receiving image content from another site not related to the email and the link to the spammers website, then block it You'd be amazed by how much junk gets tossed into the bit bucket by that filter technique, at the very least, quarantine it to figure out a pattern and if your users, REALLY want it.

    Here at Spacequad AntiSpam Services, we analyze and report all types of internet abuse daily. If you have a specific problem and cannot resolve it, see our site and get a hold of us to work out a solution.

  7. Horse Badortes
    Paris Hilton

    Stick A Dot Separator In Yer Email Addie Man...

    Example -> some.twat@no.where

    ...will be very unlucky to get any spam. The dot separator in the local part seems to screw 'em right up. Been my experience with umpteen accounts over some years. I have a good idea why that is.

    Keep it to yerself, now.

    Paris, cuz that might actually be one of her old email addies...

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    Not necessarily true..

    I have a name-dot-name e-mail address and it still gets plenty of pharma-spam and faux-chronometer-spam. I think the solution is simple:

    1) There are a finite number of spammers in the world

    2) Declare them UNPROTECTED by any international laws

    3) Assassinate them one by one until that finite number is reduced to zero

    4) Hopefully, those who would become new spammers would get the message!

    5) Eventually, the world enjoys a spam-free Internet.

    Simple and elegant! A good place to start would be the ROKSO. ^_^

    -A

  9. Skip

    @Andrew Langhorn

    The article you mentioned was on the Beeb: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7591370.stm

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Not Necessarily true..

    Sounds good. Hey, you look like a spammer to me... *pulls out 9mm*

  11. Steve Roper
    Go

    @Not necessarily true..

    Ah, great minds think alike. :) Like my own oft-vaunted solution to this problem:

    Ch-Click...HOCK! OOOOORRRRAAAAAAYYYYY!!!

  12. TeeCee Gold badge

    Re: Not necessarily true.......

    Overly complex solution that.

    Far simpler would be to hand the ROKSO list to one of the black agencies specialising in wet-work (you know, the ones that don't exist and certainly wouldn't be financed by any western governments if they did) and tell 'em to do something useful with our tax dollars / pounds / euro-washers for once in their lives.

    A few nasty "accidents" to some of the more high-profile types in the spamming community would get the message across.

  13. Stefan Richter

    Wow, how sophisticated...

    I've seen better from Spammers. Is a link to a SWF which runs a getURL all they can come up with? You still need to click that link though- and you must be a total n00b to do that.

    BTW (this so going to sound like spam in itself and yes I know the name is a bit cheesy) I run all my mail through www.junkemailfilter.com before it even hits my mailserver. I get no spam (just like Dvorak). Sounds too good to be true I know. But seriously, give it a try.

  14. An ominous cow herd

    The 10 commands

    Number 1, Thou shall enlarge your penis with pills bought on the internet.

    Number 2, Thou shall.... Oh wait, those were the 10 commandments....

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