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MSNBC Fake Headlines Install Trojans

"Plane crashes into prep school, hundreds of kids killed"-type of headings hide malware

By Denisa Ilascu, Internet / SEO News Editor

13th of August 2008, 14:57 GMT

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MSNBC fake breaking news install trojans on users' computers
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Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley, from security company Sophos, has announced on his blog that Internet users are threatened yet again by a Mal/EncPk-DA infection. This translates into a Trojan:Win32/Tibs.gen!G, which is reported by Sophos to be an average threat to computers.

Hackers always keep pace with the warnings provided by security makers, as they change their malware spreading habits as soon as someone discovers what is behind those too-good-to-be-true offers or bulks of headlines that are practically impossible to be found in other resources as well. Speaking of headlines, they have always been among hackers' favorite weapons, as people usually tend to click on anything that promises to offer them eccentric details on their favorite stars.

As Sophos warned last week, CNN fake headlines had been used to install malware. As soon as the information became public, hijackers stopped using the method. Nevertheless, Sophos informs that links to what may seem to be MSNBC breaking news are in fact trojans. Here's a list of the headlines people are advised to avoid clicking at all costs:

msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: McCain told lies to win votes
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Anthrax case solved
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Preliminary polls for the election
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Google launches free music downloads in China
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Jerry Yang relinquishes control over Yahoo
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Apple September show highly anticipated
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: High calorie food banned in canteens
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Abortion made illegal in New York
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Tiger Woods to take 2-year break from golf
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Europeans dislike Americans attitudes
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: McDonald's found to breach FDA regulations, suspended from trading
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Mary-Kate Olsen responsible for Heath Ledger's death
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Plane crashes into prep school, hundreds of kids killed
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Stocks set to fall on recession
msnbc.com - BREAKING NEWS: Obama set to win presidency

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Sophos | trojan | MSNBC | breaking news
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