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One of the sneakiest worms to date is spreading rapidly and has climbed to the top of the virus charts. The worm, which is being dubbed "Mimail", disguises itself as a file sent by a computer user's network administrator and attempts to exploit a vulnerability in Internet Explorer that allows a script to be executed by an infected computer, ZDNet UK reports.
The email that carries the worm has "your account" in the subject line, according to Symantec, and the body reads, "Hello there, I would like to inform you about important information regarding your email address. This email address will be expiring. Please read attachment for details." It is then signed "Best regards, Administrator." The email contains an attachment labeled "message.zip" that carries the malicious code. If opened the worm then tries to use that script to mass email itself, potentially clogging mail servers or slowing down networks.
The arrival of "Mimail" has heightened fears that a large-scale attack on the Internet could be looming. The US federal government warned this week that a widespread flaw in Windows could be used to generate an attack.
The email that carries the worm has "your account" in the subject line, according to Symantec, and the body reads, "Hello there, I would like to inform you about important information regarding your email address. This email address will be expiring. Please read attachment for details." It is then signed "Best regards, Administrator." The email contains an attachment labeled "message.zip" that carries the malicious code. If opened the worm then tries to use that script to mass email itself, potentially clogging mail servers or slowing down networks.
The arrival of "Mimail" has heightened fears that a large-scale attack on the Internet could be looming. The US federal government warned this week that a widespread flaw in Windows could be used to generate an attack.