NEWS: Fake-MP3 virus threatens half a million
It may sound like something out of Brass Eye – 'one virus even disguised itself as a Girls Aloud track' – but if you were one of the 500,000 people thought to have downloaded the Trojan horse virus instead of that MP3 you were after, you wouldn't be laughing.
Users of the Limewire and eDonkey file-sharing networks have been hit by a fake MP3 that once downloaded causes the customary havoc to your PC.
While viruses and misleading file names aren't unfortunately a new thing, the scale of this current outbreak seems to dwarf anything seen in the last few years.
Unsurprisingly the news was broken by anti-virus company McAfee, who will no doubt look to sign-up a few worried punters in the process. But hey, it's not like having virus protection is a bad thing...
The virus hides behind fake music and video files on P2P networks. Once the user opens the file they are instructed to download a file named PLAY_MP3.exe. If you do this your computer is infected with 'adware' that fills the computer with the dreaded 'pop-up' adverts.
So consider this a public service announcement, though we could wonder what you were doing on file-sharing networks in the first place...!
Technorati Tags: anti-virus, fake, McAfee, MP3, virus
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Comments
Anybody running .exe files deserve everything they get!
I dread to think of the comments if I'd mentioned it only affects Windows users...!
Course having virus protection isnt a bad thing, but it would be remiss of me not to point out that it can be had for free. on pc forums, thats just like saying "cables are all the same", you know.
it only affects windows because more people will be messed around, as it sells more than other OS's. Coz its da bestest.
Pop up ads...? is that the worst they can do...? Pah! Nancys!
I really seem to be after a scrap today, dont i.
lol nightmare....i've got that bloody virus and i get loads pop ups...aint got a clue why i opened it, it looked dodgy but i opened it anyway...ahh well, beta re-format my laptop again!!
"Anybody running .exe files deserve everything they get!".
Indeed, anyone running a random .exe file which was downloaded without their consent from the internet does indeed deserve everything they get! I like running my Mac and seeing these .exe files download and do nothing. I understand the reason all these viruses run on Windows is because it's the most popular OS. And that's why I use my Mac for anything sensitive as the chances of any issues are reduced by far (though not eliminated obviously and I'm still very careful).
Hopefully, I've just won a member of the WHF team some money as well!!
this kinda proves the whole oidm theory.
only idiots download music.
because anyone with half a brain would know a mp3 file apart from a .exe file.
open it with notepad next time
If anybody is interested in taking a look at Linux I highly recommend the new desktop version of http://www.ubuntu.com/
bit of perspective here folks, eh?
1 - this proves nothing, as many will tell you theyve downloaded, er, loads, without a problem. compared to the number who got this virus, the number who carried on without any problem.
2 - theres hardly a reason for windows users to panick. its not as if we're riddled with viruses every day. and if we've got a good backup system in place, or if you're prepared to go through all that reformatting, theres even less of a problem.
if you want to try another operating system, great! itll make you even safer. but you're not in all that much danger in the first place.
disclaimer - ive no "interest" in microsoft, nor am i an illegal downloader. tho there are reasons why i sympathise with them in some cases.