Fake media file snares PC users


The fake file claims to be an mp3 of Girls Aloud



Almost 500,000 people have been caught out by a booby-trapped media file, says security firm McAfee.
The fake file poses as a music track, short video or movie and has been widely seeded on file-sharing networks to snare victims.
McAfee said the fake media file outbreak was the largest it had seen for about three years.
Those running the fake file get bombarded with pop-up ads and risk compromising the safety of their PC.
The fake file or trojan has been widely distributed on the eDonkey and Limewire file-sharing networks.
The file has many names and is written in different languages to trick people into downloading it.
The titles make the file appear to be music tracks, pornography and full versions of popular movies.
Anyone downloading the trojan and trying to run it is asked to install a codec that will play the supposed media.
FAKE FILE TITLES
girls aloud st trinnians.mp3
changing times earth wind .mp3
heartbroken fast t2 ft jodie.mp3
meet bambi in kings harem.mp3
paralyized by you.mp3
pull over levert.mp3


Instead of playing the media, running the file installs a bundle of adware that plagues a user with pop-ups.
Included in the bundle is an MP3 media player that will only play the tracks included with it.
McAfee said seeing such a large outbreak was rare because hi-tech criminals typically prefer to target their malicious creations to keep numbers manageable and to avoid detection.
In the last seven days McAfee said the trojan had been found on more than 500,000 of the PCs that notify the company when a malicious file is downloaded.
It added that, so far, only 10% seem to have gone as far as to install the fake codec and be plagued with pop-ups.
Other security companies have seen the trojan but not in such large numbers as McAfee. Only those using Windows are vulnerable to the malicious program. McAfee urged users to update their security software and to be wary when using file-sharing networks.

Limewire is full of Viruses I never use it & never will

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I know about this. It mainly effects people who don't have much indept knowledge of computers.
If you have show all extensions on your computer enabled you would be able to see that this files aren't actually .mp3 files...but exe files EG.girls aloud st trinnians.mp3 is really girls aloud st trinnians.mp3.exe and it effects users of file networks like limewire and emule/edonkey.
torrent users need not worry.

but why am I complaining it just means more work for me which means more money

sagar

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actually I use limewire every now and again when I'm looking for a rare song but I'm absolutely extremely careful about what I download.

People just really need to follow a few simple rules when using it and they will not get into trouble.

Sagar

I have used Limewire in the past but not for a while now, though even if I did I would have been safe enough cos I'd rather nail my gonads to a burning building than download a girls aloud track...lol

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Ouch

I am glad to say that I will never have to make that choice!

Could the statement also be made that morons who download stupid shit are also using McAfee for protection? Will people never learn?

the dumb leadin the dumber protected by the dumbest lol

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