By Mike Musgrove
The latest virus to hit the Web poses as a security update from Microsoft and takes advantage of a two-year-old weakness in Internet Explorer.
Disguised as an official e-mail from Microsoft, the file comes attached to a note asking the recipient to install a "September 2003, cumulative patch" to protect against vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser and Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail programs.
If installed, the program, known as Swen or Gibe.F, attempts to disable firewall and antivirus software, gather password information and replicate itself via e-mail, as well as the Kazaa peer-to-peer network and Internet Relay Chat instant-messaging.
Internet security firms are reporting a wide distribution of the worm online; McAfee Security rated the malicious program a "medium" risk to home users and a "low" risk to corporate users, who are more likely to have updated security software.
The virus-laden e-mail looks like an authentic missive from the Redmond, Wash., software developer (aside from a few grammatical errors), but a spokeswoman for Microsoft said this week that it doesn't send security updates in e-mail. They're all distributed through Microsoft's Web site (windowsupdate.microsoft.com).
The Swen virus could affect users running Windows 95, Windows 98 (news - web sites), Windows Me (news - web sites), Windows NT, Windows 2000 (news - web sites) and Windows XP (news - web sites). It does not affect other operating systems. -- Mike Musgrove
The latest virus to hit the Web poses as a security update from Microsoft and takes advantage of a two-year-old weakness in Internet Explorer.
Disguised as an official e-mail from Microsoft, the file comes attached to a note asking the recipient to install a "September 2003, cumulative patch" to protect against vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Internet Explorer Web browser and Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail programs.
If installed, the program, known as Swen or Gibe.F, attempts to disable firewall and antivirus software, gather password information and replicate itself via e-mail, as well as the Kazaa peer-to-peer network and Internet Relay Chat instant-messaging.
Internet security firms are reporting a wide distribution of the worm online; McAfee Security rated the malicious program a "medium" risk to home users and a "low" risk to corporate users, who are more likely to have updated security software.
The virus-laden e-mail looks like an authentic missive from the Redmond, Wash., software developer (aside from a few grammatical errors), but a spokeswoman for Microsoft said this week that it doesn't send security updates in e-mail. They're all distributed through Microsoft's Web site (windowsupdate.microsoft.com).
The Swen virus could affect users running Windows 95, Windows 98 (news - web sites), Windows Me (news - web sites), Windows NT, Windows 2000 (news - web sites) and Windows XP (news - web sites). It does not affect other operating systems. -- Mike Musgrove
