SCI/TECH: Computer Virus Disguised as bin Laden Suicide Photos

A new virus is making rounds in usenet groups and chatrooms. The message claims to contain a .zip file of photos from CNN showing Osama bin Laden hanging himself; the file, though, contains the malicious Trojan virus "Hackarmy." This virus turns an infected machine into a "zombie" which allows remote access and allows it to be used for illegal activities like sending spam email and launching DDOS attacks.



I've seen a tremendous number of these messages posted to Usenet groups today with the subject line "Osama Found Hanged." They appear to come from Ivy League email addresses, including Harvard and Princeton Universities. The text of the message reads:

Osama Bin Ladin was found hanged by two CNN journalists early Wedensday evening. As evidence they took several photos, some of which i have included here. As yet, this information has not hit the headlines due to Bush wanting confirmation of his identity but the journalists have released some early photos over the internet..

A link is included which, if clicked, downloads a .zip file containing the virus.

As always, ensure you have up-to-date virus protection on your computer, and use caution when clicking links or downloading files in emails or messages you don't recognize.

[edit on 23-7-2004 by Banshee]

Well I must admit that is pretty slick. A pic that most would want to see. If it were true I'd take the virus just to see that loser hang.

Actually the potential this virus opens up for mass spammers is gigantic. Imagine infecting 40,000 machines. Of those 40k, maybe half will detect it and/or protected, one quarter will be infected and cleaned, and the last quarter infected and potential spam ports, unnoticed. The potential for a hacker to access your connection and send massive amounts of emails in a matter of minutes is actually quite real..

thanks for the head's up, that's an email i would probably open just because of the subject matter.

Thanks Banshee.

Friday's:
New Movies are released in Theaters, and NEW virii unleashed on the Net..

I am beginning to run out of "subject Lines" to block on my Mail Server..!

What has made most rampant virus outbreaks successful has been more then just code. The ability to mass market your virus is mostly responsible for outbreaks. Anna Kournakova, ILoveYou, are examples of great social engineering of viruses.

This is yet another great example of appealing to the masses to get them to do your dirty work for you.

[edit on 7/24/2004 by phreak_of_nature]

Anyone who sits down and spends a second of their time coding this nonsense and spreading it should be hung. Seriously, the amount of time alone that these miscreants have cost society is grounds enough. Look at me!!! I'm a virus writer, i couldn't get laid in a morgue! I'm so clever. Look at me. Love me daddy. Ineed to feel real neat about myself. I'm so Clever. I wish a true Virus upon them all. Something like the Hanta Virus or HIV. Something that will make them finally sit up, take notice and say, like we've all had to at one point or another, "Oh sh*t, I've got a nasty virus."