New virus hits email accounts ~ reports.....6/13/06

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> New virus hits email accounts

> From correspondents Las Vegas

> 13jun06

>

> Inc, the world's largest provider of email services, said a

software

> virus aimed at Mail users had infected " a very small fraction "

of its

> base of more than 200 million accounts.

>

> The email virus, or worm, has been dubbed Yamanner and landed in

> mailboxes bearing the headline " New Graphic Site. "

> Once opened, the message infects the computer and spreads to other users

> listed in users' email address books, security experts said.

> The email containing the virus need only be opened – in contrast to most

> worms that are hidden in attachments and require users to take an

additional

> step – to release the virus, according to computer security site

Symantec

> Corp.

> The Sunnyvale, California-based company advised users to update

virus and

> firewall software on their computers and to block any email sent

from the

> address " av3z. a

> " We have taken steps to resolve the issue and protect our users from

further

> attacks of this worm, " spokeswoman Kelley Podboy said.

> " When we learn of email abuse, such as a worm or other online threat, we

> take appropriate action, " she said.

> " (A) solution has been automatically distributed to all Mail

customers

> and requires no additional action on the part of the user. "

> Yamanner, first detected by and major computer anti-virus software

> makers today, was ranked as having a low threat level by Trend Micro

Inc and

> McAfee Inc.

> But Symantec considers the worm an " elevated threat, " one step up

from the

> lowest ranking in terms of relative danger.

> Symantec's Security Response site suggested Mail users might

protect

> themselves by upgrading to the latest test version of the recently

upgraded

> Mail software.

> " The worm cannot run on the newest version of Mail Beta, "

Symantec's

> site said.

> A spokesman was not immediately available to comment on

whether the

> company advised users to do this.

> The worm exploits a vulnerability in Javascript technology used to

make the

> mail program easier to use by triggering embedded HTML scripts to

run in the

> computer user's browser.

> The email addresses are also sent to a remote online computer

server, which

> may be used to run spam campaigns, experts said. The technical name

of the

> worm goes by variants of " JS.Yamanner.

>