Virus masquerading as Microsoft e-mail
eWeek | at | by Mike
A new mass-mailing virus is on the loose on the Internet, this one masquerading as a message from Microsoft about a cumulative security patch. Known as either Swen or Gibe, the virus is mainly found in Europe right now, but anti-virus experts say it has the potential to spread quickly and widely.
Like some other recent worms and viruses, Swen attempts to spread through several different methods, including peer-to-peer file sharing networks and IRC channels. It takes advantage of a two-year-old flaw in Microsoft Outlook and is capable of automatically executing the infected attachment once the message is opened.