When will email users learn that programs can do anything, and I mean
anything?
Don't open executable attachments. The program could disable anti-virus software, send your personal info to criminals, and email itself to all your friends.
It's the oldest trick in the book, but it still works. In itself, the worm is just a simple computer program.
Quote:
New 'Sober X' worm hides behind FBI, CIA
By Arshad Mohammed and Brian Krebs, Washington Post
WASHINGTON — It's being called the worst computer worm of the year — a fast-spreading Internet threat that looks like an official e-mail from the CIA or FBI but can leave your computer wide open to intruders.
The bogus e-mail claims the government has discovered you visiting "illegal" Web sites and asks you to open an attachment to answer some official questions. If you do, your computer gets infected with malware that can disable security and firewall programs and blast out similar e-mails to contacts in your address book. It can also keep you from getting to computer security Web sites that might help fix the problem, and it may open your Windows computer to intruders who can steal your personal data.
The worm — named "Sober X" — has spread so far so fast that the CIA and the FBI put prominent warnings on their Web sites making clear that they did not send out the e-mail and urging people to not open the attachment. ...
"This particular virus is a mass-mailer worm and is the largest one we have seen this year," said Alfred Huger, senior director of engineering at Symantec Corp., which sells Norton AntiVirus software. "It's as bad as it gets. With this particular type of virus on your system, there is a high probability that your personal information will be stolen." ...
The malware comes programmed to turn off some anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, such as Microsoft's Anti-Spyware, so you may find that you can't remove it with your PC's usual security software. You should, however, be able to download one of the free Sober-removal tools offered by security-software firms. Try any of the following sites:
- securityresponse.symantec.com (click on the "Information on W32.Sober.Xmm" link)
- us.mcafee.com (click "Virus Advisory: W32/SoberMM!M681 is a Medium Risk virus")
- http://www.trendmicro.com/download/dcs.asp (click "Sysclean package")
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12-11-2005, 07:35 PM
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