Stopping "PattyMail" Email Bugs

An anonymous reader writes, "In the U.S. Congressional Inquiry into the HP spy scandal, it was revealed that HP used Web bugs to track the source of leaks. HP's Fred Adler considers them a useful investigative tool which HP will keep using. Since dubbed PattyMail after HP Chairwoman Patricia Dunn, Web bugs have been around for a while. But it turns out the vulnerability they represent is far worse than first thought. Microsoft Outlook won't have a patch until 2007. The company at the center of the scandal claims they've done nothing wrong. But could repressive governments use them to track down critics? Can anything be done to stop Web bugs?"

Comments

"Can anything be done to stop Web bugs?"

[bunions]

Sadly, no. Since HTML is a vital component of email, this sort of vulerability is inherent in the 'email' system, much like compromised cookies and overridden passwords. Some time in the future, we may have an email system that is simply composed of raw text which would be invulnerable to such exploits, but for now we can only dream.

Moving forward.

[krell]

"Some time in the future, we may have an email system that is simply composed of raw text which would be invulnerable to such exploits, but for now we can only dream."

I've even heard that someone is working on a revolutionary OS that runs entirely in text mode, and uses command-line control, and is completely impervious to web bugs, Windows trojans, and other such infestations.

Re:Moving forward.

[Pinky]

Ah yes, Amish OS 1.0.

Alternatively you can unplug the three pronged virus enabler device that runs from every computer to the electrical socket.

Paul Tomblin said it best.

[Tackhead]

> There may not be an easy way to disable it in today's email software, short of turning off HTML email entirely.

"The PROPER way to handle HTML postings is to cancel the article, then hire a hitman to kill the poster, his wife and kids, and fuck his dog and smash his computer into little bits. Anything more is just extremism."

- Paul Tomblin was talking about USENET when he said this, but he was right.

use Pine

[baomike]

easy way to eliminate all sorts of crap in emails.

Block in the firewall?

[DamienMcKenna]

How about blocking the offending IP ranges at the firewall level? Anyone know what IPs to block?

Pfft, you kids and your bloatware.

[Kadin2048]

A real email client ... surely you mean UNIX mail?

That ought to be good enough for anybody.

Re:Pfft, you kids and your bloatware.

[SillyNickName4me]

I telnet into smtp and pop3 servers to send and read mail...

Can anything be done to stop Web bugs?

[Otter Escaping North]

Can anything be done to stop Web bugs?

Funny you should ascii...

Re:Plain Text Only

[Red Flayer]

Don't read your email in HTML format. Problem solved. a) There is nothing to be said in email that can't be said in plaintext and b) I really could care less to see your smiley face sig and pretty flower background.

Yeah, but wouldn't that be much more emphatic if it was written like this:

Don't read your email in HTML format. Problem solved.

• There is nothing to be said in email that can't be said in plaintext and

• I really could care less to see your smiley face sig and pretty flower background.