“Just looking at your e-mail can now deliver you the nastiest of new viruses. Five new variants of a malicious e-mail virus released overnight Thursday on the Internet break new ground in that recipients are no longer required to open attachments to infect their computers,” Jeff Lee reports for CanWest News Service.
“The new variants of the Bagle virus — which was first discovered in January — exploit known flaws in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Outlook and Media Player programs to run a small hyper text language message that downloads the virus directly into the target computer,” Lee reports. “Although Microsoft issued a patch last October to fix the flaw, it may still not be enough to prevent new variants of the Bagle virus from infecting users’ computers, according to a Korean antivirus company…the virus is still triggered if users try to save the message on computers that have already been patched with the Microsoft fix.”
Lee reports, “…the new variants carry a web-based URL or hyper text message in the body of the e-mail that triggers the computer to secretly download a copy of the worm from already infected computers. It also turns off some security and anti-virus programs, and even disables firewalls, according to Chris Belthoff, senior security analyst with Sophos, an antivirus and anti-spam company with offices in Vancouver.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: For information on smoothly making the switch from Windows to Mac OS X (you can thank us later, we know you will, switchers always do) please click here.
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Please. I need to know from someone, anyone, what to do about Spyware, Adware, Spam, etc.
I have tried and tried to find a download to help me with the pests.
I must say, before OSX. there was no NEED for such crap or the fear of viral infection.
Someone, please help an advid Mac user and supporter.
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