Sick Hackers Claimed to Kidnap Babies

Sophos, an online security firm, claimed that the junk mails try to panic users into opening a mail attachment which carries images of kidnapped babies but actually contains a variety of Resex information stealing Trojan.

Shockingly, the dangerous mail carries the subject line like "We have hijacked your baby" and demands a $50,000 reward for safely returning the child.

Also, the mail contains an attached file called photo.zip, which carries a file known as photo.exe. If it is opened and ran, it attempts to install malware from reddii.org. Also, the malware contains Trojans that steals passwords.

Apart from odd terms like "kidnapping" a baby, the malicious mail offers other signs that conclude it is not a genuine message. The mail also reads "We have attached photo of your fume".

Also, Sophos have expressed their condemnation against the creators of this mail. Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant, Sophos, said that there is no other method to put it off, this attack is sick, as reported by PCPro on August 26, 2008.

Cluley also claimed that attackers do not have any emotional feelings and exploiting a family's natural instinct to safeguard their most vulnerable members. May be users will think before opening the attachment but the instant reaction of some will be to think later and click first.

Security experts are of the opinion that the attack is the latest addition in a series of attempts to exploit tragedies for spreading malware. Hurricane Katrina, the Indonesian tsunami and the September 11 attacks were used for befooling users into divulging their credit card details.

Cluley also added that getting or reading these mails will not infect the system, but if users open the link, they will infect their system. It will also provide hacker a chance to steal details, as reported by computerWeekly on August 27, 2008.

Cluley also informed that once a system is infected, hackers could steal, spy and launch attacks against other sectors of net.

Sophos claimed that only some users have fallen for the trick and the infection by the Trojan is low.

» SPAMfighter News - 01-09-2008

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