msn outlook users/ virus/petitions

[Guest guest]

thanks, helen, for the petitions but watchout for this one everybody...

 

here's a message from forest. if you use msn outlook mail software beware of petitions. i checked this virus out at http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/index.html and it's real...

 

 

forest <forest Fri Jan 1, 1904 1:26 am virus alert

 

Read this carefully

New 'War Vote' Virus Deletes Computer Files

By Elinor Mills Abreu

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Computer security

experts on Monday warned of a new virus that

deletes files while masquerading as a program

that will allow people to vote on whether the United

States should go to war over the Sept. 11

hijacker attacks.

The ``Vote Virus,'' which so far is not

widespread, circulates via e-mail to users of Microsoft Corp.'s

(Nasdaq:MSFT - news) Outlook e-mail program,

said Simon Perry, vice president of security solutions

at Computer Associates International Inc.

(NYSE:CA - news)

The virus, punctuated by strange grammar and a mix of lower- and

upper-case letters, appears with the subject line: ''Peace between

America

and Islam!'' and the body of the e-mail reads: ``Hi. Is it a war against

America or Islam!? Let's vote to live in peace!'' Perry and other

experts

said.

When the attachment entitled ``WTC.exe'' is opened, the virus tries to

delete all the files on the computer's hard drive and sends copies of

the

e-mail to every address listed in the computer's address book, he said.

The virus also defaces any Web pages that are hosted by an infected

computer to read: ``America ... few days will show you what we can

do!!! It's our turn ))) ZaCker is so sorry for you,'' according to

Perry.

In addition the virus, which is a worm because of its self-propagation

capabilities, deletes the Windows directory files, tries to download a

``backdoor'' on the computer and unsuccessfully attempts to reformat the

system, said Vincent Gullotto, senior research director of Network

Associates Inc.'s (Nasdaq:NETA - news) Antivirus Response Team. A

``backdoor'' would enable someone to get remote access to the

computer without permission.

The virus also can delete antivirus software on the computer, according

to Vincent Weafer, director of Symantec Corp.'s (Nasdaq:SYMC -

news) Antivirus Research Center

--

forest

forest

http://www.lavazone2.com/forest