empty emails?? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

wrongfullyaccuzd · 09-29-2003, 07:13 AM

i've gotten a couple of these, and i would appreciate an explanation. it is usually from some random email address i don't recognize, and one recently had a stupid body message of "you'll enjoy this website i think" but it had no link or anything. anyway, the others, which 99% of the time don't have any body text at all are just totally blank, with no attachment, but are over 100k in size! someone please tell me why.

Latch · 09-29-2003, 07:58 AM

Can you say worm?

Chances are the emails appear empty, but in the background there's actually some code that's executing (maybe.. depends on what client you use). Do you have a virus scanner running? If not, check out some of the threads on here about virus scanning, there's some free ones mentioned.

If you use something like Hotmail or Eudora, you'll *probably* be ok (no promises). Most worms target Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express email clients.

charliex · 09-29-2003, 01:38 PM

or you reading your email as plain text only ? if so the mail is probably HTML and is either stripped or read in plain text, in which it appears blank.

though plenty of spammers are too dumb to send out properly formatted emails and you'll get lots of screwed up ones.

The_Dude · 09-29-2003, 03:09 PM

maybe an anti-virus program is blockin the contents?

i know that OE now automatically blocks access to "suspicious" attchments.

jfranco13 · 09-29-2003, 03:10 PM

It's probably an HTML message that doesn't show anything in plain/formatted text. Go to "view source" or "view code" and you might see a line or two of HTML.

wrongfullyaccuzd · 09-29-2003, 09:02 PM

thanks for the insight, fellas..
i do have a virus scan running, and i does report worms and viruses now and then but never around when i have those emails open...
i do have html viewing enabled, i always have. if it was some sort of code executing in the background, how long would that take to complete? i can't think of a time i have ever left those emails open very long...would having them open affect the execution if that was the case?

09-29-2003, 07:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
wrongfullyaccuzd Addict Location: NoVA	empty emails?? i've gotten a couple of these, and i would appreciate an explanation. it is usually from some random email address i don't recognize, and one recently had a stupid body message of "you'll enjoy this website i think" but it had no link or anything. anyway, the others, which 99% of the time don't have any body text at all are just totally blank, with no attachment, but are over 100k in size! someone please tell me why.

09-29-2003, 03:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	maybe an anti-virus program is blockin the contents? i know that OE now automatically blocks access to "suspicious" attchments. __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

09-29-2003, 03:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
jfranco13 Crazy Location: Pittsburgh, PA	It's probably an HTML message that doesn't show anything in plain/formatted text. Go to "view source" or "view code" and you might see a line or two of HTML. __________________ We may lose, and we may win, but we will never be here again.

09-29-2003, 07:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
Latch In Your Dreams Location: City of Lights	Can you say worm? Chances are the emails appear empty, but in the background there's actually some code that's executing (maybe.. depends on what client you use). Do you have a virus scanner running? If not, check out some of the threads on here about virus scanning, there's some free ones mentioned. If you use something like Hotmail or Eudora, you'll probably be ok (no promises). Most worms target Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express email clients.

09-29-2003, 01:38 PM	#3 (permalink)
charliex Junkie Location: North Hollywood	or you reading your email as plain text only ? if so the mail is probably HTML and is either stripped or read in plain text, in which it appears blank. though plenty of spammers are too dumb to send out properly formatted emails and you'll get lots of screwed up ones.

09-29-2003, 09:02 PM	#6 (permalink)
wrongfullyaccuzd Addict Location: NoVA	thanks for the insight, fellas.. i do have a virus scan running, and i does report worms and viruses now and then but never around when i have those emails open... i do have html viewing enabled, i always have. if it was some sort of code executing in the background, how long would that take to complete? i can't think of a time i have ever left those emails open very long...would having them open affect the execution if that was the case?