Glossary
Email worm
Malware that spreads by emailing copies of itself to the contacts it finds on an infected machine.
ValidReach Team · Updated 2026-10-26
In practice
It arrives as an attachment or a link that looks like it came from someone you know. Keep software updated, do not open unexpected attachments and use a mail gateway that scans them.
Verification and sending
Worms send to addresses harvested from address books, which is one reason a real contact’s address can suddenly send you spam.