[vox-tech] spam current events

[Bill Kendrick]

Way back in August, Pete wrote:
> i'm getting hammered with email containing text designed to trick bayesian
> filters.
<snip>
> the gif image itself is mostly white with a few colored "threads" here and
> there.

I finally took a closer look at one of these.  (Using Mutt, I never notice
the GIF attachments, and don't ever view them.)

If you look at the GIF in a browser or GUI email client, you'll actually see
some message.  That is, text that's been written into the image.
(Not unlike a fax, or a scan of a page from a book.)

The one I looked at was some stupid "look out for this cool stock" crap.
What they're doing is sending an animated GIF.  The first (few) frame(s) of
the GIF are mostly-white, with some gibberish (probably to get around some
anti-spam tools?)

The final frame -- and, obviously, the GIF does not loop -- is the actual
spam message.

So yeah, the text is gibberish, and if you look at the GIF in a more basic
viewer app. (one that doesn't handle animated GIFs, and only shows you the
first frame, and not the final frame -- XV for example), you'll just see
mostly-white, and scratch your head: "what the hell was the point of sending
me that?"

:)

-- 
-bill!
bill at newbreedsoftware.com
http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/