Messenger worm out and about
A NEW WORM that piggybacks on MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger IM client is winging its way around the net. Dubbed "Bropia.A," once the worm has installed itself, it sends a copy to all your Messenger contacts. [Didn't we write about this last week? Ed.]
It then downloads a Trojan horse program, Rbot which is a back door into the computer. This then logs user keystrokes to collect system information, and spread instant messaging Spim. It also shuts off the right mouse button of the infected machine to block access to context-sensitive menus.
According to security outfit Akonix, the worm shows that hackers and spammers are not happy to just send Trojans in e-mail any more.
In a press release CEO Peter Shaw said that unmanaged public instant messaging is quickly becoming one of the most easily exploitable threat vectors into the enterprise. Mind you it would say that, the company specialises in making software to protect instant messaging systems.
