01 Jul 2009
Michael Jackson mass-mailing worm hits inboxes
Email worm also capable of spreading via USB devices
IT security and control firm Sophos is today warning computer
users to exercise extra caution when using email, following the
discovery of a mass-mailing worm attack that is currently spreading
via a malicious email campaign.
The email, which has the subject line 'Remembering Michael
Jackson' and claims to come from 'sarah@michaeljackson.com', says
that an attached ZIP file - titled 'Michael songs and pictures.zip'
contains secret songs and photos of Michael Jackson.
However, by opening the attachment, computer users are exposed
to infection. Once infected, a computer will begin automatically
spreading the worm onto other internet users. Besides spreading via
email, Sophos experts note that the malware is also capable of
spreading as an autorun component on USB memory sticks - an
increasingly common trend for malware, as use of these devices
becomes more and more popular.
"In light of the huge interest in Jackson since his sudden
death, there are likely to be many computer users who are tempted
into opening the attachment," said Graham
Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos on
his blog. "But sensible computer users should by now be well
aware that cybercriminals will be quick to exploit news events to
spread malware and spam. Anyone who receives this email should
delete it immediately to save themselves the embarrassment of
infecting their email contacts."
Sophos detects the malware proactively as
Mal/ZipMal-B and
Mal/VB-AD, and recommends that users of other anti-virus
products ensure that their defences are properly updated.
About Sophos
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.