Hackers Spoof MSNBC Alerts in New Twist on Malware Ruse

Hackers trying to plant malware on PCs have switched from touting CNN news in come-on messages to pushing breaking stories said to be from rival network MSNBC, security experts said today.

The fake messages pose with subject headings that include the phrase "Breaking News," along with phony news story headlines, such as " Jerry Yang relinquishes control over Yahoo," "Mary-Kate Olsen responsible for Heath Ledger's death," and "Plane crashes into prep school, hundreds of kids killed," said researchers at F-Secure Corp. and Sophos Plc.

Last week, security vendors had warned users of a massive scam that used messages masquerading as news alerts from CNN. At its peak, the blitz dumped? nearly 11 million messages an hour on users.

The criminals who launched that attack are also behind today's switch to MSNBC, said Sam Masiello , MX Logic's vice president of information security. "Typically we see copycats shortly after a major campaign, but this was sent by the same people," said Masiello.


Read more:

http://www.csoonline.com/article/443771/Hackers_Spoof_MSNBC_Alerts_in_New_Twist_on_Malware_Ruse

My sons, one is a computer network administrator (The PC guy) and the other (the MAC guy) is a mac genius at apple.
All fixed.

My house is like that apple commercial......one is a nerd and the other is cool.

I got the CNN ones for a few days, then they disappeared - now MSNBC is filling up my InBox.

Thanks.

I have been getting the emails...cnn....msnbc but do not know how to stop them from coming. If you are infected that's another issue. You can google the virus or spy ware that got you and find instructions as to how to remove them.
The one that got me put hidden files on the computer and you had to hunt down delete each one. I also loaded Windows Defender (free) and it grabbed the little bit that was left.
Having said that, my PC son spent 1-1/2 hours cleaning up my system which he said was a mess. Maybe from xpvirus, maybe not. He said when something like XPvirus gets into your system it brings all it's little friends with it.
Anyway, hope it helps.

I have lots of customers who just click on any e-mail in their inbox and get infected, I have probably been working on 3 computers a day with the xp antivirus2008 and 2009 for the past week.