FC: Nasty new "W32/KLEZ.H" worm thrashes Microsoft Outlook users

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2002 10:45:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: "John F. McMullen" <observer () westnet com>
To: johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com
cc: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>, <declan () well com>,
        Open Source Intelligence Network <osint () yahoogroups com>
Subject: A New Risk to Computers Worldwide

>From the New York imes --
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/27/technology/27VIRU.html?todaysheadlines

A New Risk to Computers Worldwide
by John Schwartz

A rogue computer program that is the online equivalent of a quick-change
artist is infecting computers around the world via e-mail and clogging
computer networks.

The program, W32/KLEZ.H, is a "blended threat," combining elements of a
virus, which infects machines, and a worm, which transports itself from
machine to machine. It also tries to disable some antivirus programs.

It makes itself hard for users to spot by changing its e-mail subject
line, message and name of the attachment at random, drawing from a
database that includes, for example, such subject lines as "Hello, honey,"
and "A very funny website."

The program has grown increasingly common as users unknowingly activate it
sometimes without even opening the e-mail attachment that carries the
virus  and allow it to send copies of itself to those in the victim's
e-mail address file.

"It is exploding," said Keith Peer, chief executive of Central Command, a
computer security company.

The rapid spread of the program caused Symantec and McAfee.com, two
prominent computer protection companies, to upgrade their warnings about
it in recent days; Symantec said on its Web site that it now considered
the program a "category 4" risk, its second-highest ranking.

The program exploits vulnerable spots in computer programs, most notably a
problem in earlier versions of Microsoft's mail programs, Outlook and
Outlook Express, which allows some types of computer programs to be
activated even if they are in the "preview pane."

[...]




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