Malware Alert: 2012 Olympics-Themed Emails Circulating with Malicious Attachments

A lot of preparations are already under way for the 2012 Olympics. Not just in London, but also in the virtual world as well. Unfortunately for the latter, cybercriminals are trying to get in on the action by launching an Olympics-themed scam that tries to get people to download its malware-filled attachments.

The malware was discovered by TrendMicro, where researchers from the security firm were able to intercept several of these emails that are currently in circulation.

The ironic thing is, the emails warn the recipients of bogus websites and organizations that are allegedly selling fake tickets to the Olympics.

These mails contain the official logo of the event to possibly deceive users of its legitimacy. Included in the message is an attached .DOC file that lists these bogus ticket sellers. The attachment, however, is actually a malicious file detected by Trend Micro as TROJ_ARTIEF.ZIGS.

This backdoor may perform several malicious routines, including deleting and creating files and shutting down the infected system.

-- TrendMicro

When you get one of these emails, hit "delete" right away and advise your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. And as a general piece of advice, never download or open any email attachments from people you don't know.

Article by Hazel Chua
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