Email users warned of new virus
A worm that spreads through email is threatening to become one of the biggest viruses of 2003, antivirus firm Sophos warned today.
The Mimail worm is disguised as a message claiming to be from the network administrator, telling the user that their email account is about to expire and urging them to read an attachment called message.zip. When opened, the attachment contains an html file that will infect the machine with the worm.
Then the worm will send itself to the user's entire address book, spreading the same email to other computers.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus, said: "Mimail's author has gone to great lengths to disguise his code as a legitimate email.
"However, Mimail's text does leave a vital clue that it is a rogue email - business email accounts don't expire. Users need to think carefully before they launch any attachment, even if it does appear to come from a bona fide email address."
Microsoft has warned its customers to download a security patch that will prevent the worm from exploiting a vulnerability in its operating system.
Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall downplayed the worm's potential to cause major security problems. "The damage is simply an annoying e-mail," he said.
The Mimail worm was first detected in the US on Friday. Sophos said its customer support team has seen a heavy increase in the number of reported infections since this morning.
"The Mimail worm is getting a second lease of life as UK businesses log on to start a new working week," said Mr Cluley.
"While US firms have been patching their systems against this threat, their UK counterparts have been enjoying a sunny weekend, blissfully unaware that a virus is sitting on their email system just waiting to be unleashed."
The Mimail worm is disguised as a message claiming to be from the network administrator, telling the user that their email account is about to expire and urging them to read an attachment called message.zip. When opened, the attachment contains an html file that will infect the machine with the worm.
Then the worm will send itself to the user's entire address book, spreading the same email to other computers.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus, said: "Mimail's author has gone to great lengths to disguise his code as a legitimate email.
"However, Mimail's text does leave a vital clue that it is a rogue email - business email accounts don't expire. Users need to think carefully before they launch any attachment, even if it does appear to come from a bona fide email address."
Microsoft has warned its customers to download a security patch that will prevent the worm from exploiting a vulnerability in its operating system.
Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall downplayed the worm's potential to cause major security problems. "The damage is simply an annoying e-mail," he said.
The Mimail worm was first detected in the US on Friday. Sophos said its customer support team has seen a heavy increase in the number of reported infections since this morning.
"The Mimail worm is getting a second lease of life as UK businesses log on to start a new working week," said Mr Cluley.
"While US firms have been patching their systems against this threat, their UK counterparts have been enjoying a sunny weekend, blissfully unaware that a virus is sitting on their email system just waiting to be unleashed."
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