Celebrity Picture E-mails Deliver Malicious Codes

In the news published on April 2, 2008 by Xinhua, a Los Angeles-based IT security company, Panda Security revealed that the junk mails promises to provide sensual photographs of celebrities is spreading virus to many personal computers.

These mails attract the users to click on link with their tempting subjects like "Rihanna Exposed" or "Naked Shakira Clip" or other symbolic messages, says the security company.

On clicking the link, users are able to download copy of Agent.IMB Trojan on their systems and this code is copied to their system with the name "CbEvtSvc.exe". This creates a service in the computer which runs whenever the system starts.

According to the news published on April 2, 2008 by Xinhua, PandaLabs Technical Director, Luis Corrons, said that the social engineering technique Agent.IMB is not new. There are many Internet crooks that are still using it and in future also many users will fall into its trap.

Corrons further added that sometimes, similar kinds of e-mails are used by malware creators to spread different viruses. Thus, it is not surprising to find that same junk mails will be used in coming few days to spread malicious codes such as banker trojans and downloader Trojans.

The fake Websites, spam messages, or infected e-mails with viruses mostly spread celebrity malware. Moreover, all these attacks have never affected Mac and Linux users but always target Window PCs, says PandaLabs.

These malware writers have also targeted many other famous celebrities such as Anna Kournikova, Pamela Anderson, Bill Clinton, and ex-President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, for celebrity malware which is used to distribute nasty codes, as per PandaLabs.

Dominic Hoskins, Security Expert at Panda Security UK's Country Manger, said that many malware creators have used celebrity pictures and sensational headlines to pass on malicious codes and this has transformed malware action into financial gains. This technique proves very successful in regard to celebrity baits, as per the reports published on April 3, 2008 by HEXUS.lifestyle.

The officials at Panda security company warned computer users to not to open e-mails from unknown people and click on links attached to them.

Related article: Celebrity Image Used For Spamming Once Again

» SPAMfighter News - 4/11/2008