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Virus hooks onto CNN headlines
C|Net News ^ | January 20, 2005 | Robert Lemos

Posted on 01/20/2005 8:48:23 PM PST by holymoly

A PC virus has started to spread through e-mail, luring potential victims by disguising itself as a headline newsletter from CNN, an antivirus company said Thursday.

E-mails laden with the virus, dubbed "Crowt.A" by Sophos, do not have a typical subject line and other characteristics, Sophos said. Instead, the virus sends out e-mail messages with subject lines, message content and attachment names drawn from the latest news headlines on CNN's Web site, which it gathers as it spreads. Very few Sophos customers have reported that they been affected by Crowt.A so far, the company said.

"Virus writers are always looking for new tricks to entice innocent computer users into running their malicious code. This latest ploy feeds on people's desire for the latest news," Carole Theriault, a security consultant at Sophos, said in a statement.

If a news-hungry PC user opens an infected e-mail attachment, the virus will install a program to allow remote intruders to rummage through the victim's PC and grab sensitive information. A program that records information entered into the infected computer, known as a keylogger, could also snare a victim's log-in information, Sophos said in its description of the virus, which it is referring to as a worm.

Other computer viruses have incorporated real-time elements in a similar manner to spread faster. The Santy worm, for example, used a real-time search of Google to find vulnerable computers.

The last time attackers targeted CNN was in 2000, when the Time Warner company fell prey--with other online sites--to a series of denial-of-service attacks.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: attachement; cnn; communist; computersecurity; email; file; headline; headlines; keylogger; microsoft; network; news; trojan; virus; windows
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Why would someone make trouble for the Communist News Network? ;)
1 posted on 01/20/2005 8:48:24 PM PST by holymoly
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To: holymoly

I never have received e-mail from CNN, and do not plan to do so. On the other hand, this will bring down the computers of many socialistas.


2 posted on 01/20/2005 8:50:23 PM PST by Army Air Corps (Half a league, half a league rode the MSM into the valley of obscurity)
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To: holymoly

hehehe


3 posted on 01/20/2005 8:50:55 PM PST by cyborg
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To: holymoly

CNN is a virus.

A PC virus. How appropriate.


4 posted on 01/20/2005 8:51:53 PM PST by TBP
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To: holymoly
opens an infected e-mail attachment,

Hehehehe...

5 posted on 01/20/2005 8:53:39 PM PST by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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To: holymoly
Pretty stupid virus writer if he thinks anyone is going to open a CNN story.

Best protection is to never open attachments. Total attachment abstinence.
6 posted on 01/20/2005 8:55:34 PM PST by BJungNan (Cut government spending 3 percent, get the same job done.)
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To: holymoly
"Virus writers are always looking for new tricks to entice innocent computer users into running their malicious code."

Perhaps the legal penalties for this type of activity could be increased until it becomes prohibitive, or until we run out of virus writers.

7 posted on 01/20/2005 8:57:31 PM PST by Coyoteman
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To: holymoly

I get to be first!

It's Bush's fault!


8 posted on 01/20/2005 8:57:48 PM PST by razorback-bert
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To: BJungNan
Pretty stupid virus writer if he thinks anyone is going to open a CNN story.

Actually, the virus writer is (probably) hoping DUmmies will open a CNN story.

The only question is, which one of you characters is responsible? ;)
9 posted on 01/20/2005 8:58:08 PM PST by holymoly (About:Blank)
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To: holymoly

BTTT


10 posted on 01/20/2005 9:00:31 PM PST by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Coyoteman

"or until we run out of virus writers."

Works for me!


11 posted on 01/20/2005 9:03:05 PM PST by Syntyr
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To: BJungNan

Set your email program to read only in plain text, too....:)


12 posted on 01/20/2005 9:03:13 PM PST by Salamander (Words got me the wound and will get me well...if you believe it.)
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To: Army Air Corps

Any time I get any news from any source besides NewsMax it gets 86'ed.


13 posted on 01/20/2005 9:09:58 PM PST by phoenix0468 (One man with courage is a majority. (Thomas Jefferson))
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To: Salamander
Set your email program to read only in plain text, too....:)

Definately. I use Hotmail and it is real good that way. It will not let you open anything in the form of a graphic until you say to enable.

Someone sends me an email with colored text, it does not show up. I reply and tell them to send regular text or I can not see it.

14 posted on 01/20/2005 9:45:46 PM PST by BJungNan (Cut government spending 3 percent, get the same job done.)
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To: holymoly

sorry my bad lol


15 posted on 01/20/2005 9:48:25 PM PST by mastercylinder (support our troops nuke Mecca)
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To: holymoly

heh heh. Good thing I'd pay no attention whatsoever to anything CNN sent me.


16 posted on 01/20/2005 9:49:31 PM PST by Space Wrangler
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To: holymoly
I thought most headlines from CNN were indeed viruses. I avoid anything from CNN like the plague. Mind Pollution for the masses.
17 posted on 01/20/2005 9:51:10 PM PST by Red Sea Swimmer (Tisha5765Bav)
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To: holymoly

cnn is now tranfering std's or something tell them to keep them to there selves!!!!


18 posted on 01/20/2005 9:54:45 PM PST by mastercylinder (support our troops nuke Mecca)
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To: holymoly
The last time attackers targeted CNN was in 2000, when the Time Warner company fell prey...to a series of denial-of-service attacks.

LOL! As if CNN or Time Warner ever provided any service.

19 posted on 01/20/2005 9:56:07 PM PST by jigsaw (God Bless Our Troops.)
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To: BJungNan

Since I started doing that [Outlook Express 6 made it possible] I have not gotten a single email virus.
[the great side-benefit is that I don't have to actually look at those "bored, lonely housewives" and *worse* everytime my mail opens]...LOL!
The only things I've ever been hit with are website trojan "bugs".
AntiVir and Spybot catches and quarantines them before they install themselves so I've been pretty good, so far.
Plus, I have a hardware firewall, which helps a -lot-...:))


20 posted on 01/20/2005 10:33:50 PM PST by Salamander (Words got me the wound and will get me well...if you believe it.)
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