Computer Users Warned of Malignant ‘Brett Favre’ Virus

A warning from computer security specialists (issued on May 9, 2009) asks the general public to be on guard against 'Brett Favre,' a new computer virus that has reportedly infected a massive number of PCs, counting to some millions, as reported by bleacherreport on May 9, 2009.

The virus sends e-mail spam to the end-user. The messages depict misguided and inflated content on retired football star Brett Favre who used to play for the National Football League.

It is understood that while the worm wildly propagates on both PC and Mac operating systems, it installs itself on the target computer's hard-drive as its user accesses the websites of Foxsports, ESPN, Yahoo Sports and Access Vikings.

Moreover, the virus downloads itself whenever the computer user views a S.A. Smith, Siefert, or Florio article. In addition, the worm is the first malware that disseminates its payload through Twitter. Consequently, Twitter users worldwide are complaining of inundating with 'Brett Favre' tweets. Some of the users say that they are from Brett Favre himself.

The security specialists state that to exploit a user's computer, the virus implants itself into each process running on the CPU. It also uses P2P file sharing to spread all over the Web. Further, according to the specialists, as the virus renews its diction and form, it makes detection more difficult by antivirus software.

Ronald Wolf, Security Expert, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), says that the virus has amassed a large number of compromised, zombie PCs all of which produce content on Brett Favre at a frightening rate. According to him, the virus has created a perilous situation, inflicting chaos on computer networks and web servers all over, as reported by bleacherreport on May 9, 2009.

Meanwhile, it is learnt from reputed sources that security researchers working at well-known antivirus firms are spending most of their time and efforts to find a means to destabilize the 'Brett Favre' virus. A major problem that the researchers have discovered is that any time a computer user believes that the virus is dormant or has gone away, it just reappears.

Related article: Computer Virus Writers Adopt New Strategy

» SPAMfighter News - 5/19/2009