Text of an email I just received at work.

There is an email circulating that has a link to a website for an e-greeting card that is actually a virus. Your antivirus software may not detect this as a virus, so as always, be very cautious when clicking on any links or attachments in email. IF YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL SIMILAR TO THIS, PLEASE DELETE IT IMMEDIATELY.

Following is Symantec.com's write-up on the virus:

Friendgreetings

Discovered on: October 24, 2002
Last Updated on: October 24, 2002 03:20:23 PM PDT
Symantec Security Response is aware of a widespread E-card which appears to have the characteristics of a worm. Security Response does not classify this as a malicious threat and as such will not detect any files associated with the E-card. The installation of software associated with the E-card requires the user's permission in order to perform it's mass-mailing capabilities. By cancelling the installation of the software, no worm-like activities will be performed.
The recipient would recieve an email with the following characteristics:

Subject: %recipient% you have an E-Card from %sender%.
Message:
Greetings!

%sender% has sent you an E-Card -- a virtual postcard from FriendGreetings.com. You
can pickup your E-Card at the FriendGreetings.com by clicking on the link
below.

http:/ /www.friendgreetings.com/pickup/pickup.aspx?

Message:
------------------------------------------------------------
%recipient%
I sent you a greeting card. Please pick it up.
%sender%
------------------------------------------------------------

When the link is followed, the recipient is asked to download some software in order to view the E-card.

[picture of M$IE "trust this content?" dialog was here]

The installer package will require the user to accept 2 End User License Agreements in order to complete the installation. The second EULA (see below) explicitly states that by accepting the agreement the end user is authorizing the software to send an email to all contacts in the Microsoft Outlook Contacts List. The email is formatted as displayed above.

[picture of EULA dialog was here, containing the following text:]

"1. Consent to E-Mail Your Contacts. As part of the installation process, Permissioned Media will access your MicroSoft Outlook(r) Contacts list and sent an e-mail to persons on your Contacts list inviting them to download FriendGreetings or related products. By download, installing, accessing or using the FriendGreetings, you authorize Permissioned Media to access your MicroSoft(r) Outlook(r) Contacts list and to send a personalized e-mail message to persons on your Contact list. IF YOU DO NOT WANT US TO ACCESS YOUR CONTACT LIST AND SEND AN E-MAIL MESSAGE TO PERSONS ON THAT LIST, DO NOT DOWNLOAD, INSTALL, ACCESS OR USE FRIENDGREETINGS."

If this agreement is not accepted, the installation is not complete and the software will not send a link to the www.friendgreetings.com website via email.

Mis-use of the term virus gets on my nerves. Symantec's description is accurate, but the company helpdesk's is not. This isn't a virus. It's an application with rather unfriendly habits--enticing people to send spam to their friends and thereby bypass most spam filters--but it doesn't install itself, it doesn't run itself, and it lets you cancel out even if you did attempt to install and run it.