New Yahoo Messenger Worm Sends Infected IMs
When you receive a random link in an e-mail from an unknown e-mail address, it’s common sense to not click it. Most people already know this and avoid clicking unknown links. The second threat in the e-mail virus is when the e-mail asks you to save a file. This is a dead give-away that something isn’t right, and most people will just click close and delete the e-mail. But what if your friend sends you a link to click? Will you click it? This new worm exploits users trusts by spreading the virus between friends on Yahoo Messenger. Once infected, the virus will send you a message under the guise of your friend’s account with a link to what appears to be a picture.
It will then ask you to download the picture and even throw in the term Myspace and .JPG into the file name to make it really seem like a picture. But for anyone that is familiar with file extensions, this is still not enough as they can see it is really an .exe file that is capable of installing some program such as a virus onto their computer.
This particular virus tries to take over your computer and send itself to all your friends through instant messaging The worst part is that you might not even know what has happened until it’s too late. Your system restore points might be deleted, your computer will be remotely spied on, and the only way to get back control is to erase everything and start over.
This is to warn you that the next time you get a link from your friend’s instant messaging account, e-mail, or however it is that you get it, try to confirm with your friend what it really is and make sure that it sounds like your friend.
(Via Net-Security)
