Email Offers Links To The CNN Top 10 Stories-Virus!
Summary of eRumor:
A message appears to be from CNN and shows links to videos linked to the top 10 CNN stories.
The Truth:
This email is a virus that began circulating August 6, 2008.
The email includes graphics that appear to be from CNN and claims to be talking about the Top 10 stories as well as offering links to videos about them.
If you click any of the links, however, a message appears telling you that you do not have the correct version of Flash Player as well as a box you can click to download it.
That click, however, does not download Flash Player, it connects you to a web site that can infect your computer with malware. Security experts are still trying to pin down what code is downloaded to your computer, but it could be the type that connects your computer as part of a massive network of home and business computers that are used to send out similar fake emails, spam, or to try to harvest personal and financial information.
One frustration was that when you clicked the link and got the phony Flash Player warning, you could not get out of it, even if you chose “cancel.”
Samples that we have gotten were titled “Top 10” when in fact 20 stories are listed.
One security company estimated that more than 1,000 hacked web sites are hosting the fake Flash Player program.
Adobe.com, the makers of Flash Player, warned not to download Flash Player from any source other than Adobe.com.
updated 08/10/08