Security Threats on AIM and Yahoo

[A's Baby Girl]

Instant messaging users are being warned of new security threats affecting Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO - news) and AOL (NYSE: AOL - news).

The worm launched through AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM) attempts to open a backdoor in a user's system so an attacker can gain control of the machine.

Yahoo Messenger users, meanwhile, are being targeted in a phishing scheme that tries to convince them to hand over their Yahoo credentials.

Aiming High

The threat affecting AOL arrives in a user's IM system with the message "hehe i found this funny movie," and prompts users to click on a hyperlink.

If a user does so, then malicious code is downloaded onto their system, and the worm wiggles onto a public IRC server so it can spread to other AIM users. The code appears to be a variant of the Gaobot virus, which allows an attacker remote control over an affected PC.

The worm has been rated as a medium threat by IMLogic, and some security firms have noted that its spread is being checked by the rapid response of anti-virus companies.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20050526/bs_nf/35651

[RockSports17]

Just read this. I usually don't answer a lot of messages from people I don't know anyways, and I usually never click on links provided unless i know for sure where the link heads to.

Hopefully people watch out.

[Element]

You can't be too bright if you click on a link from someone you don't know.

[General]

Oh, word. VikingDude from thenflforums.com had one of those... he sent me a IM with that, I ignored it, couple days later he informed me of it.

[BuckFoston]

Wow, thank you a bunch!

[Providence A's]

you can set your IM so you only receives IMs from people on your buddy list, too...

you gotta watch out for fake emails from paypal and/or ebay, too...they try to get you to click on a link and steal you identity or whatever.

[aTrUeCUBsFaN]

you can set your IM so you only receives IMs from people on your buddy list, too...

Your friends' computers could have been infected, and send it to you. So just ask them about the website whenever you receive a message for a link.

[Providence A's]

right, I just meant you can eliminate some of the chance of getting it from random people

[redsrbetter]

Thanks Baby Girl

[awefullspellare]

my firends PC had this for a while. It was really funny because after it would get sent they would go DONT CLICK THAT!!!

[777rak]

thankx for warning me

[Taylor]

Don't know much about this virus but most try to install through Active X, so long as you have your precautions up (Anti-Virus, Spyware blaster, Firefox) you'll be safe.

If you have to use IE then make sure your AV is up to date, and get a firewall! Even if you have a trojan it's useless if it's access to the net is denied......