Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00331)

Email attachments are rejected by theos-talk, so no virus would be
transferred to anyone because of someone else's posting to the list. The
bn-basic list is moderated, so it should be safe, as long as the current
moderators have the latest virus protection. As to theos-l, I don't recall
if it allows attachments. If so, viruses could spread from an unprotected
subscriber to that list.

The FROM and TO message headers are meaningless when in a message sent by a
virus (these can easily be forged). A message could have come from anyone,
originating due to a virus that is spreading itself. It is also possible,
though less likely, that someone could send a virus and forge the message
headers to make it look like someone they don't like had send it. Someone
could easily, for instance, send a virus making it look like Bart had sent
it just to get people upset with him. 

I get all messages sent to theos-talk by non-subscribers. Among them are
perhaps a dozen virus messages a month. Needless to say, I keep my
computer's anti-virus software and definitions up-to-date.

I'll repeat what I started with:

It is physically impossible for anyone to post a virus to the list since all
attachments are rejected. Any viruses received with "theos-talk" in the
subject line came from someone's individual computer, and it's likely that
part or all of the message header had been forged.

-- Eldon