Michael Jackson Suicide Trojan

[nerd4hire]

I thought this was interesting so I decided to share it with you

http://p2pnet.net/story/5166

Apparently there's a new trojan horse virus type thingy out there.

What makes this one interesting is the way it infects you. It comes via email, but you don't get infected by clicking on an attachment as is usually the case.

It offers you a blurb on a story saying Michael Jackson attempted to commit suicide. It offers a link to a site where you can read the whole story.

When you click the link you are taken to a website where the trojan is loaded onto your system.

Bet you're freaked about clicking links now, eh?

Here's the complete story from another website just so you don't have to click the link, or think I'm just hoaxing you. 😀

Jackson Suicide Trojan Surfaces
Techtree News Staff Email Print
Jun 10, 2005
Experts at SophosLabs, Sophos's global network of virus and spam analysis centers, have warned of a spam campaign that claims that Michael Jackson has attempted suicide in an attempt to lure innocent computer users into being infected by a Trojan horse.

The email claims that Michael Jackson has attempted to commit suicide. But clicking on the link will cause infection.

Sophos has identified hundreds of the spam messages being sent, preying on intense media interest in the trial of the controversial popstar. The spam emails have the following characteristics:

Subject: Re: Suicidal aattempt

Message text:
Last night, while in his Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson has made a suicidal attempt.

They suggest this attempt follows the last claim was made against the king of pop. 46 years old Michael has left pre-suicid note which describes and interpretes some of his sins.

Read more...

However, when users click on the read more link they are taken to a website which secretly installs malicious code onto their PCs.

"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, security consultant at Sophos. "However, this is a diversionary tactic - because behind the scenes the website is downloading malware onto the user's computer without their knowledge."

Experts at Sophos have analyzed the code downloaded by clicking on the link, and determined that it itself attempts to download another Trojan horse which Sophos detects as Troj/Borobt-Gen. Sophos PureMessage has been updated to detect the spam message automatically at email gateways.

Sophos notes that this is not the first time that the troubled pop star has been exploited by virus writers and hackers attempting to spread their malware. In October last year messages were posted on the internet claiming that incriminating home videos belonging to Jackson had been discovered - but clicking on the link infected web surfers with the Hackarmy Trojan horse.

"The sick minds behind viruses and other malware often exploit celebrity names and news stories in an attempt to infect as many people as possible," continued Theriault. "All computer users should be very careful about clicking on weblinks in unsolicited email or launching unknown attachments."

http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/article.jsp?article_id=4317&cat_id=582

 

[Xander]

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out (not that I would really read stories about the MJ Trial but you know, best be safe and all that jazz)

 

[kenji]

Thank you for that lol, because I would of probaby fell for it and opened the link.

 

[Old Master 3.0]

Thanks for the heads up, N4H. Always good to know about these things.

As for that e-mail text from the offenders, it boggles the mind how someone with the know how to create a computer bug can be so grammatically unsound, lol.

 

[nerd4hire]

The thing that scares me about this one is the virus through a link thing.

I mean, how long will it be before these clowns get around to doing stuff like posting dirty links in message boards.

That's why I'm glad boards like this one use that 15 posts before you can post a link rule.

I worry there might be a way to circumvent that though.

 

[polexia]

wow, that is pretty scary that it gets into your pc that way. thanx man! for the heads up 🙂

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Thanks n4h. I personally wouldn't have clicked that but it's always worth checking with Sophos, Symantec or MacAfee to see what the story is with some of these spam e-mails.

 

[Summers Blood]

Thanks for the heads up. I would probably have clicked on the link as i'm really gullible and love celebrity gossip. Sad i know!