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Talking worm discovered by Instant Messenger users

There's word tonight of a new worm afflicting users of America Online's Instant Messenger, and reports indicate it actually chats with you to fool you into activiating its payload. The worm is called IM.Myspace04.AIM.
Bookworm

There's word tonight of a new worm afflicting users of America Online's Instant Messenger, and reports indicate it actually chats with you to fool you into activiating its payload.

The worm is called IM.Myspace04.AIM.

It's being sent using instant messages that say "lol thats cool" and then provide a link to a malicious file named "clarissa17.pif." Some users report asking whether the attachment contained a virus, to which the worm responded: "lol no its not its a virus."

If opened, the file disables your security software, installs a backdoor and sends itself to everyone on your buddy list.

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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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