Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global network of virus and
spam analysis centres, have warned computer users about a new
version of the Bropia worm which spreads via the MSN Messenger
online chat system.
The W32/Bropia-R worm sends
itself to all contacts in an infected user's MSN Messenger buddy
list, in an attempt to drop a copy of another worm - the W32/Rbot-WN network worm
and backdoor Trojan horse. This malicious worm allows hackers to
take remote control of infected computers, allowing them to capture
keystrokes and grab screenshots (allowing opportunities for
identity fraud), and even capture webcam footage of the
unsuspecting user.
When first run, W32/Bropia-R may display an error message that
reads "Enkele bestanden konden niet gemaakt worden. Sluit alle
toepassingen, start Windows opnieuw op en start deze installatie
opnieuw op" which translates into English says "Some files
could not be created, close all application windows and start this
installation again."
The Bropia-R worm displays a comical image of a toothbrush and
toilet roll on infected computers.
|
| The image displayed by the Bropia-R worm. |
The image shows a toothbrush saying "Sometimes I feel that I
have the worst job in the world!" to which the roll of toilet paper
replies, "Ya...Right!"
"Some may be amused by the bathroom humour, but people hit by
this worm may be flushing their security down the lavatory," said
Graham Cluley,
senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Staff should be
encouraged to take security seriously, and be taught to be wary of
opening unsolicited attachments - even if they come in via instant
messaging systems rather than regular email."
An earlier
version of the Bropia worm which spread via instant messaging
displayed a picture of a sunburnt chicken.
"Companies may like to reconsider whether their users really
need to online chat with external friends, or at the very least
implement a whitelist of who they can receive instant messages
from," continued Cluley.
Sophos continues to recommend that businesses ensure their
computers are kept automatically up-to-date with the very latest
anti-virus software.
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.