# "Proxy-relay trojan server" -- scary computer gibberish **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517 "2004-03-04T15:16:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/1 "2004-03-04T15:16:43Z")
Someone at work got the following virus message: > [@](#): > > Some of our clients complained about the spam (negative e-mail content) outgoing from your e-mail account. Probably, you have been infected by > a proxy-relay trojan server. I laughed myself silly, especially with the nonsense phrase “proxy-relay trojan server.” It utterly meaningly, but sounds impressive. Note that it works if you use the words in any order: trojan proxy relay server relay trojan server proxy server-relay trojan proxy trojan relay proxy server “Negative e-mail content” also sounds scary and impressive, doesn’t it? So, the game here is to come up with other meaningless technical terms that could scare the novice. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/2 "2004-03-04T15:21:20Z")
Nitpicky: I thought that was real: your computer gets infected by a trojan horse virus, which makes your computer act as proxy server that can relay other viruses to other servers? I suppose if it was an email virus it should be “SMTP relay server”. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/3 "2004-03-04T15:27:02Z")
Could it be that your computer is infected by a trojan that is using your computer as a server to relay itself to other computers by proxy? Trojan: Software that installed itself on your computer when you opened an infected email or ran a program from the internet that contained the trojan. Hence the term, which comes from the old story of the “Trojan Horse”. This is typically what is meant when people use the term “virus”. Proxy: Means your computer is being used “by proxy”; i.e., appropriated by someone else for their own purposes. The usage here implies that said usage is without your permission. Server: Means your computer is being used as a central point to receive and send something (in this case, the “trojan”). Relay: Means your computer is being used to send something along. Certainly usage of “Relay Server” is redundant, but the message, does have meaning. ---
**Author:** ![APOC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@APOC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APOC)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/4 "2004-03-04T16:01:19Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I suppose if it was an email virus it should be “SMTP relay server”. Hear hear to the responses . These are all too real. Just a point Jimm , a trojan can contain its own SMTP engine. Correctly then we might describe the systems as acting as a: Trojan Infected SMTP Relay Server or pehaps a Server acting as a Trojan Compromised SMTP Relay or maybe Trojan Commandered SMTP Relay Server ? Choose which one will annoy Nitpicky the most , but this is no laughing matter and the well intentioned warning deserves a least a preliminary investigation as opposed to the scorn and mockery. You can be damn sure that if My account were getting spamed from a maill addy i knew wasnt spoofed my Virus Warning would be ever so slightly harsher 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/5 "2004-03-04T16:16:20Z")
Most likely what has happened is that someone else (who has your address stored in their address file) is infected with a trojan or worm and it is spoofing your email address in the ‘from’ fields - this happens quite a lot and I get a lot of this kind of warning messages from companies I’ve never heard of. The other kind of ‘warning’ messages I get are: “We have traced a number of unsoilicited emails as originating from your address and believe your stsyem is infected with a virus or trojan; open the attached file for further details and a link to the Microsoft web page where a patch can be downloaded” (and of course the attached file is ‘attachment.doc.pif’ - a virus. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/6 "2004-03-04T16:45:06Z")
First of all, let’s get one thing straight: _This message was sent by a virus_. Thus, anything it says is completely untrustworthy. If you’re trying to assign meaning to what is being said, on the assumption it is a valid warning, you’re waaaayy off base. Second, I agree that the words all make sense. The combination, however, does not. A Google search shows that the phrase “proxy-relay trojan server” only occurs when named in conjunction with this virus. It does not describe anything that exists in the real computing world. It is just four computer terms put together by the virus writer in order to fool people into clicking on the infected attachment. And judging by the answers so far, it looks like a virus writer can string together any random group of computing terms and get everyone to think it’s something to be concerned about. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/7 "2004-03-04T16:52:38Z")
It was totally unclear from your OP that the message was from a virus. For all we respondents knew, it could have been from a pissed-off client of yours. ---
**Author:** ![spittingkitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@spittingkitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spittingkitten)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/8 "2004-03-04T23:55:36Z")
You can insert your hard drive into my intercourse service anytime, baby. No viruses, I promise. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proxy-relay-trojan-server-scary-computer-gibberish/232517/9 "2004-03-05T00:04:14Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > It was totally unclear from your OP that the message was from a virus. > > For all we respondents knew, it could have been from a pissed-off client of yours. I recognized the virus from the thread title, although I’m familiar with that one. I think it’s the one called “Bagle.” It’s particularly weasely. It looks like it comes from your domain. For example, pretend my address was “crayons@sdmb,com”, then it would e-mail me from “staff@sdmb,com” or “management@sdmb,com” and the message would say something like: “Due to bad e-mail activity coming from your e-mail, we have determined you have a virus. Please download the attached virus fix-it.” The attachemnt of course is the virus. :mad: There’s a pit thread about this nasty little virus.