Aug 18 2008
msnbc.com – BREAKING NEWS: VIRUS Alert
Well we have another one following on the heals of the CNN Alert and CNN.com Daily Top 10. These are the same and have links to download an updated flash player. The flash player is NOT flash player at all but a trojan.
Some examples of the Subject:
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: All Baseball Players May Be Indicted For Steroid Abuse
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: SJC Loosens Handgun Control To Stimulate Economy
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Elizabeth Taylor found murdered at home
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Nature Did Not Connect the Funny Bone to the Satire Bone
They are also starting a BBC NEWS and just a breaking news. None of the From: fields are msnbc, cnn, or BBC. So lets just start calling this the news alert virus. These viruses are based on the assumption that someone they are sending to is signed up to receive the alert. Without looking just clicking links, I know for one I am signed up to receive some of these type of alerts. I guess one of the things that have saved me is I only receive email in plain text and I do not click on the links if they are not from the sending domain. For instance in one of the breaking news from msnbc.com the link goes to www.4×4.co.rs and well this is NOT msnbc.com. So some tips:
If you receive breaking news alerts instead of clicking the link move your mouse over the link and copy the shortcut. Open your web browser and paste it into the web browsers URL field. If the URL is NOT to the site the email came from DO NOT GO TO IT. Delete it from the URL and delete the email.
Remember folks this is a simple one. If you are NOT expecting the email do not open it, especially if it has an attachment. If it is from someone you know and it has an attachment call them and ask “Hey what is this your sending me” if they do not know then do NOT open it. It is just common sense.
If you go to a web site and it wants you to update any software go to the original site to update it. For instance all these trojans want you to update FLASH Player. Go to the Adobe download site at http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/ and update your flash player. Do NOT update it from a web site you do not know. You should never install and or update software from a web site that you do not know.
Others:
http://www.securitywatch.co.uk/2008/08/13/msnbccom-breaking-news-spam/
http://blog.mxlab.be/2008/08/13/msnbccom-breaking-news/
http://www.securitywatch.co.uk/2008/08/13/msnbccom-breaking-news-spam/
http://www.securitymanagement.com/news/beware-msnbc-com-breaking-news-spam-e-mails-004502
http://securitylabs.websense.com/content/Alerts/3159.aspx
