New AIM Worm Dupes iTunes Fans

A new worm has been discovered on the AOL Instant Messenger service that dupes users into thinking it is a file for the popular iTunes music player software. The worm appears in an IM with the message "this picture never gets old" and a link to what appears to be an image URL. However, it is not an image and is rather an executable file called "iTunes.exe" which will install several spyware applications including "Internet Optimizer," "Media Ticket," and "180 Search Assistant."

Trend Micro, which discovered the worm and issued a warning about it, said that the file also opens a "backdoor" allowing hackers to send commands to the computer from an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) chat room. The hackers could download or execute files on the machine as well as send AIM messages to other users on the infected user's buddy list. The worm affects all versions of Microsoft Windows.

8 Responses to New AIM Worm Dupes iTunes Fans

© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.