Thread: If You Get This E-Mail, Delete It ASAP

The newest e-mail virus to hit Windows is capable of turning infected personal computers into "spamming" machines, reports Reuters. Called "MiMail.c," it teases potential victims with sexy photos but instead grabs e-mail addresses from the infected PC's address book and then forwards itself so unsuspecting recipients think it's a message from a friend or co-worker.


The e-mail containing the virus has the subject line: "Re[2]: our private photos." The text message reads: "All our photos which i've made at the beach...." and is signed "Kiss, James." When the attached ZIP file, photos.zip, is downloaded and opened, an executable file grabs the e-mail addresses and sends an unknown type of data to a remote server in what appears to be a "denial of service" attack, reports Reuters. Such an attack could cripple the targeted Web site.


MiMail.c is the third variation on the MiMail virus family and is the fastest spreading, according to ZDNet. The good news is that the virus is considered medium risk. While it is not particularly damaging to the infected computer (there may be some loss of personal information), it has the potential to bog down corporate networks with the flood of e-mail messages it generates. ZDNet reports that most antivirus software companies have updated their signature files to include this worm, which will stop the infection upon contact and in some cases will remove an active infection from your system.