The British anti-virus firm Sophos said that hackers are infecting computers around the world with a Trojan virus by sending e-mails which claim that pop-star Michael Jackson has attempted suicide. The e-mail message links to a site that contains a Trojan horse program known as Troj/Borobt-Gen. It quickly installs malware onto the user's computer via a flaw in Internet Explorer that can be patched, according to Sophos.
"If you click on the link, the Web site displays a message saying it is too busy, which may not surprise people who think it might contain genuine breaking news about Michael Jackson," Carole Theriault, a security consultant at Sophos, said. "However, this is a diversionary tactic, because behind the scenes, the Web site is downloading malware onto the user's computer without their knowledge."
The massive attack preys on people's curiosity with the famous "King of Pop" and the huge interest that his on-going child abuse trial has generated. This was not the first time that a virus was spread using bait from Michael's trial. According to Sophos, computers infected with the Trojan become part of a network that can be used to generate spam e-mails or take part in Denial-of-Service attacks.
View: Troj/Borobtgen at Sophos
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