Posted on 11/01/2003 10:03:05 AM PST by Rams82
SAN FRANCISCO -- A new e-mail virus started spreading to corporate computers Friday and is headed for home computers, but computer security experts said they expect the outbreak to wind down over the weekend.
Antivirus software maker Trend Micro said tens of thousands of its corporate computer users in France and Germany had been hit by the virus, dubbed "Mimail.C".
The e-mail was spreading quickly because it spoofs e-mail addresses in address books, making it appear as if the virus-carrying e-mail comes from a friend or co-worker, said Raimund Genes, European president of Trend Micro.
Trend and Network Associates rated the virus a medium threat, upgrading it from a low-level threat because of the large number of infections being reported within a short time, said Vincent Gullotto, vice president of Network Associates' antivirus response team.
The virus arrives in a compressed file via e-mail with a subject line of "our private photos." The message text says: "All our photos which i've made at the beach ... " and is signed "Kiss, James."
The attack appeared to have been targeting four Web sites with the name "darkprofits," according to Network Associates.
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