| Binladen suicide trojan threatens web { July 24 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active) http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1160979.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200407/s1160979.htm
'Bin Laden' suicide virus threatens web: experts. 24/07/2004. ABC News Online Last Update: Saturday, July 24, 2004. 12:45pm (AEST)
'Bin Laden' suicide virus threatens web: experts A virus purporting to show images of Osama bin Laden's suicide has appeared on the Internet, designed to entice recipients to open a file that unleashes a malicious software code, security experts said.
The virus was attached to a message that was posted on over 30,000 newsgroups and is not being spread via e-mail, said online security vendor Sophos.
Chris Kraft, senior security analyst at Sophos, said the message and virus was designed to lure unsuspecting readers into opening a file, similar to the Anna Kournikova virus.
"If you don't know the person or the origin of a message, you shouldn't be opening it," Mr Kraft said.
The fake bin Laden suicide file, when opened, launches a Trojan horse program that allows attackers to take over infected personal computers running Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Mr Kraft said the virus itself had already appeared on the Internet before, but the virus writer had apparently repackaged it by saying it contained bin Laden's suicide photos.
--Reuters
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