14 DAY TRIAL // Cybercriminals are distributing a variant of the Virut virus (Win32/Virut.BN) with the aid of a website that purports to offer Skype emoticons.
According to BullGuard, the cybercrooks are sending out emails designed to lure unsuspecting users to the said website. However, instead of Skype emoticons, victims are served a file that hides the virus.
Win32/Virut.BN is a file infector that targets .exe and Windows screen saver (.scr) files. In addition, it opens a backdoor on the infected computer to allow the attackers to download and execute other malware.
BullGuard experts advise users who have installed the malicious emoticons to run a full system scan with an updated antivirus solution.
However, since Virut is a file infector, it can damage some files beyond repair. In this case, victims might be forced to restore their operating system to a previous state, or reinstall it altogether.