Post by ThePieMaN on Jun 10, 2005 15:46:02 GMT -5
I know a lot of you may be temtped to read an email with a sensational headline such as this but RESIST the temptation for it is a Trojan.
Article can be found here:
informationweek.securitypipeline.com/news/164302247
E-mail claiming that pop star Michael Jackson has attempted suicide is just another attempt by hackers to plant malicious code, a security firm warned Friday.
Jackson is awaiting the verdict in a California case in which he's been accused of child molestation.
Arriving with the subject head of "Re: Suicidal aattempt" and text that read "Last night, while in his Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson has made a suicidal attempt," the mass-mailed message included a link to a site for more information. That site, however, secreted installs a pair of Trojan horses, one opens a remote backdoor that the attacker can use to plant even more malicious code.
"If you click on the link the website displays a message saying it is too busy, which may not surprise people who think it might contain genuine breaking news about Michael Jackson," said Carole Theriault, a security consultant at U.K.-based Sophos, in a statement. "However, this is a diversionary tactic, because behind the scenes the site is downloading malware onto the user's computer."
According to Sophos, this isn't the first time that Jackson has been the butt of virus campaigns. In October, 2004, mail claiming that incriminating video had been discovered made the rounds, but was really installing the Hackarmy Trojan.
Jackson is awaiting the verdict in a California case in which he's been accused of child molestation.
Arriving with the subject head of "Re: Suicidal aattempt" and text that read "Last night, while in his Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson has made a suicidal attempt," the mass-mailed message included a link to a site for more information. That site, however, secreted installs a pair of Trojan horses, one opens a remote backdoor that the attacker can use to plant even more malicious code.
"If you click on the link the website displays a message saying it is too busy, which may not surprise people who think it might contain genuine breaking news about Michael Jackson," said Carole Theriault, a security consultant at U.K.-based Sophos, in a statement. "However, this is a diversionary tactic, because behind the scenes the site is downloading malware onto the user's computer."
According to Sophos, this isn't the first time that Jackson has been the butt of virus campaigns. In October, 2004, mail claiming that incriminating video had been discovered made the rounds, but was really installing the Hackarmy Trojan.
Article can be found here:
informationweek.securitypipeline.com/news/164302247
