IT security experts have warned of a "major new malicious attack" that has
been plaguing internet users since 2:00 GMT yesterday.
Sophos
said that new variants of the Dorf family of malware, which had previously
spread as breaking news of deaths caused by European storms, are now using
disguises associated with love and greeting cards.
A wide variety of subject lines are being used in the spam campaign,
including 'You're so Far Away', 'I Dream of you', 'Dream Date Coupon', 'Together
You and I', 'A Bouquet of Love', 'So in Love' and 'Cuddle Up'.
Attached to the emails are files called 'flash postcard.exe' or
'greetingcard.exe'. When opened, the worm attempts to send itself to other email
addresses found on the recipient's PC.
It also attempts to download further malicious code from the internet,
designed to take over the computer and use it to send spam on behalf of hacking
gangs.
"This attack is taking place against internet users right now around the
world, resulting in a deluge of spam being relayed from innocent users'
computers," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
"People must learn to think before they click. It may be tempting to open an
attachment which you think is a greeting card or a message from a loved one, but
following your heart can get you into trouble sometimes.
"The best defence is common sense, combined with up-to-date antivirus
software and email filtering at the gateway."
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article