Hackers are attempting to exploit the newly discovered bug affecting Microsoft Windows' handling of animated cursors (ANI files) by sending out emails promising compromising pictures of Paris Hilton and hardcore actress Jenna Jameson.

The spammed email messages have subject lines such as "Hot pictures of paris hilton nude" and contain an embedded image, not of the celebrity hotel heiress but of pornographic actress Jenna Jameson.

When clicked on, the image links to a website containing the malicious Iffy-B Trojan horse. The Trojan horse in turn points to another piece of malware which tries to exploit the Microsoft vulnerability.

According to security firm Sophos, the attack is believed to be by the same group of hackers that last week spammed out scantily clad pictures of Britney Spears to exploit the same Microsoft vulnerability.

"The problem is that consumers and businesses may not yet have patched themselves against this vulnerability, and clicking on unsolicited emails like these could lead them to a nasty malware infection," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos.

"Microsoft issued a patch for the problem last week, but determined hackers are still trying to lure computer users with promises of nude pictures and look set on taking advantage of the security flaw for some time to come."