FC: Nasty new "W32/KLEZ.H" worm thrashes Microsoft Outlook users

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Sun Apr 28 2002 - 09:44:25 PDT

  • Next message: Declan McCullagh: "FC: Privacy villain of the week: Sen. Dick Durbin, nat'l ID, and AAMVA"

    ---
    	
    Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2002 10:45:57 -0400 (EDT)
    From: "John F. McMullen" <observerat_private>
    To: johnmacsgroupat_private
    cc: Dave Farber <farberat_private>, <declanat_private>,
             Open Source Intelligence Network <osintat_private>
    Subject: A New Risk to Computers Worldwide
    
     >From the New York imes --
    http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/27/technology/27VIRU.html?todaysheadlines
    
    A New Risk to Computers Worldwide
    by John Schwartz
    
    A rogue computer program that is the online equivalent of a quick-change
    artist is infecting computers around the world via e-mail and clogging
    computer networks.
    
    The program, W32/KLEZ.H, is a "blended threat," combining elements of a
    virus, which infects machines, and a worm, which transports itself from
    machine to machine. It also tries to disable some antivirus programs.
    
    It makes itself hard for users to spot by changing its e-mail subject
    line, message and name of the attachment at random, drawing from a
    database that includes, for example, such subject lines as "Hello, honey,"
    and "A very funny website."
    
    The program has grown increasingly common as users unknowingly activate it
    sometimes without even opening the e-mail attachment that carries the
    virus  and allow it to send copies of itself to those in the victim's
    e-mail address file.
    
    "It is exploding," said Keith Peer, chief executive of Central Command, a
    computer security company.
    
    The rapid spread of the program caused Symantec and McAfee.com, two
    prominent computer protection companies, to upgrade their warnings about
    it in recent days; Symantec said on its Web site that it now considered
    the program a "category 4" risk, its second-highest ranking.
    
    The program exploits vulnerable spots in computer programs, most notably a
    problem in earlier versions of Microsoft's mail programs, Outlook and
    Outlook Express, which allows some types of computer programs to be
    activated even if they are in the "preview pane."
    
    [...]
    
    
    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list
    You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice.
    To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html
    This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/
    Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sign this pro-therapeutic cloning petition: http://www.franklinsociety.org
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sun Apr 28 2002 - 11:18:10 PDT