Security Response

Symantec Security Response has discovered a mass-mailing worm using Michael Jackson's death as a bait. The worm sends out spam emails with the subject “Remembering Michael Jackson” and an attachment named “Michael songs and pictures.zip.” The .zip file contains another file called “MichaelJacksonsongsandpictures.doc.exe,” which is a copy of the worm that is executed on the user’s machine when the file is opened.
 
Symantec has detection for this worm as W32.Ackantta.F@mm. It is important to keep in mind that W32.Ackantta.F@mm spreads not only through email, but also via removable drives using autorun.inf.
 
Below is a snapshot of the email that W32.Ackantta.F@mm sends out:

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A typical phishing email message tries to represent (falsely) a single institution. For example, a spammer sends a phishing message, forging the email to appear as if it’s from a financial institution. The recipient is then asked to enter personal information for some fictional reason (for example, “verify your identity”). In an effort to obtain as much information as possible about the unsuspecting user, the spammer usually asks for more information than what is asked at a legitimate website. While a legitimate site may only ask for username and password, a phishing site usually seeks additional information such as a credit card or pin number, mother’s maiden name, and/or a social security number. Once the user hits the “submit” button, the private information is sent into the hands of criminals.

Symantec has recently observed a spam message that is pretending to be from HM Revenue & Customs in the United Kingdom. The message is very...

This week has seen the tragic deaths of three iconic American super stars: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. As always, events such as these seem to be prime targets for spammers and malicious code authors alike.

Internet users should expect to see a flurry of threats seeking to play upon the emotions and curiosity of the public around these events. If you’re looking for news, videos, pictures, or any information regarding these individuals and their lives, Symantec recommends that you only visit sites you’re familiar with and trust. Don’t click on every link you see related to this story and always keep your security solutions up-to-date.

For example, Symantec has observed spam that appears to be a spoof on CNN that actually contains a link to a malicious Web page.

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With more people using the Internet now than ever before, free homepage hosting providers are increasing in popularity. These sites offer users free Web space so that they can make their own homepage, publish it, and share with friends and family. When the popularity of this type of service was near its peak, spammers began to use these websites as part of their spamming efforts. This was accomplished through the creation of many free websites, often using automation, and sending spam with a newly created webpage URL. The randomization of such URLs hindered typical anti-spam efforts. When an unsuspecting user clicked on one of these newly created URLs, more often than not they were taken to a page similar to the one shown here:

While this spam material (online pharmacy spam) is...