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Trojan Poses as IE7 Download
OCTOBER 18, 2006 | If you get an email from support@microsoft.com with a link to Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1, don't go there: A trojan downloader will get installed and set up a backdoor into your computer.
The spoofed message's link takes you to a site that looks convincingly similar to a Microsoft page, but don't be fooled. The trojan installs via an IE browser vulnerability, according to SurfControl, which is tracking the malicious message and its spread around the Net. The scam is especially timely -- Microsoft IE7's availability is imminent and users are preparing for the release to hit later this month. (See Anti-Malware Tools Trip Up IE7 Install.)
Downloaders are among the most prolific types of trojans today and are popular with spammers because they are relatively small pieces of code. Their job is to avoid detection and typically to disable AV and firewalls and then download more malware code.