BUGBEARs among us

["Joe Cantrell" <agiyo@domain.elided>]

Folks,
There's a new e-mail worm circulating, W32 BUGBEAR.  The last two times I've
logged on, I have had highly Alfa-specific messages infected by it.  It is
similar to the KLEZ mutations that have been so prolific the last couple of
months, in that if it gets through your defenses it disables your antiviral
protection and sends itself to addresses in your computer.

The antiviral program vendors have a long list of generic subjects that it
supposedly appears under, but both my attacks have had explicit Alfa titles.
Unlike the telltale KLEZ size around 120K, these have been 132K and 68K.

There is indication it steals credit card information, and dispatches that,
too.

Symantec has a good, effective removal tool on its website.  I suggest you
load it onto a floppy; you may be needing it very and frequently.  For pity's
sakes, and everyone else's, be certain your antiviral program is up to the
minute!

And yes, if the originators of these things were cars, I'd like to stick their
ring and pinion, unenclosed, right up to their combustion chamber.

Be careful out there.

Joe
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