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Home computer users were warned about a new virus which launches an automatic attack.
Most viruses rely on the user double-clicking on an attachment sent with an e-mail to infect the computer.
But a new virus, called Netsky-V, is rare in that it starts to infect the computer after the user clicks on the subject line of the e-mail just once.
Experts say the arrival of a virus - or worm - of this kind poses the greatest danger to home PC owners who are less likely than businesses to have the necessary software protection.
Internet security firm Sophos said the Netsky-V worm was first detected on Thursday night. Measuring its impact is difficult because it does not show up as an infected attachment.
The worm tries to take advantage of computers with Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer without the necessary "patch" in place which would prevent the attack.
When it finds a vulnerable computer, it tries to import the virus from other infected terminals connected to the Internet.
Sophos believes the purpose of the worm could be to bring down a number file-sharing web sites by using infected computers to launch a "denial of service" attack between April 22 and 28.
It is the latest in a series of Netsky worms sent since the first, Netsky-A, was launched in January this year.
Copies of the Netsky-V worm have been found in e-mails with the following subject lines: mail delivery sytem (sic) failure, mail delivery failed, server system failure, and gateway system failure.
The first line of the e-mail contains messages such as "converting message, please wait" and "please wait while loading failed message".
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said: "If the worm was programmed to download the infection from a particular web site on the Internet it would be easy to shut the site down.
"But it is using individual computers as virus factories to help it spread."
©AAP 2004
Wanted you all to be notified and aware of this happening.
Most viruses rely on the user double-clicking on an attachment sent with an e-mail to infect the computer.
But a new virus, called Netsky-V, is rare in that it starts to infect the computer after the user clicks on the subject line of the e-mail just once.
Experts say the arrival of a virus - or worm - of this kind poses the greatest danger to home PC owners who are less likely than businesses to have the necessary software protection.
Internet security firm Sophos said the Netsky-V worm was first detected on Thursday night. Measuring its impact is difficult because it does not show up as an infected attachment.
The worm tries to take advantage of computers with Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer without the necessary "patch" in place which would prevent the attack.
When it finds a vulnerable computer, it tries to import the virus from other infected terminals connected to the Internet.
Sophos believes the purpose of the worm could be to bring down a number file-sharing web sites by using infected computers to launch a "denial of service" attack between April 22 and 28.
It is the latest in a series of Netsky worms sent since the first, Netsky-A, was launched in January this year.
Copies of the Netsky-V worm have been found in e-mails with the following subject lines: mail delivery sytem (sic) failure, mail delivery failed, server system failure, and gateway system failure.
The first line of the e-mail contains messages such as "converting message, please wait" and "please wait while loading failed message".
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos, said: "If the worm was programmed to download the infection from a particular web site on the Internet it would be easy to shut the site down.
"But it is using individual computers as virus factories to help it spread."
©AAP 2004
Wanted you all to be notified and aware of this happening.