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Why are HTML emails a security hazard?

There are many reasons why HTML email is a security hazard and many bad things that can happen to you or your computer by simply even previewing the message in a preview pane without even opening it.

* Using images in HTML mail to gather demographic information about you when your mail program contacts the remote server where the image is hosted in order to allow you to view the image. Using this plus Javascript, many other 'spying' functions can be performed

* Using javascript to track recipients and "listen" to all forwarded messages

* Invisible images that monitor recipients and transmit information about them

* Monitoring the path of a confidential e-mail messages

* Silent capture of valid email addresses for use by spammers

* Executing arbitrary code from email using backdoors in MS Office

* Abusing bugs in mail clients to execute programs attached to emails

* Using ActiveX scripts in html email to steal private local files

* Javascript in html emails sending out recipients' private information

* Using javascript to initiate a denial of service attack

* Execution of malicious java applets

* Distribution of malicious worms that infect recipients' machines

More information about these exploits can be obtained from:

http://www.datafellows.com/v-descs/kak.shtml
http://users.rcn.com/rms2000/security/email/jcorrupt.htm
http://users.rcn.com/rms2000/security/email/jsdos.htm
http://users.rcn.com/rms2000/security/email/bootrap.htm
http://users.rcn.com/rms2000/security/email/bootrap.htm
http://users.rcn.com/rms2000/security/email/office.htm
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/dailynews/story/0,2000013063,20156879,00.htm
http://www.bugnet.com/alerts/bugalert_010215.html
http://www.privacyfoundation.org/privacywatch/report.asp?id=54&action=0
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Facility/8332/reaper-exploit-release.html
http://www.mediamantra.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000003.html

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