Graham Cluley Access Quotations

It appears whoever wrote Zotob had access to the Mytob source code, ripped out the email-spreading section and plugged in the Microsoft exploit.

It appears that whoever wrote Zotob had access to the Mytob source code, ripped out the email-spreading section, and plugged in the Microsoft exploit. It's possible that several people have access to the Mytob source code - so it may not be the last we see of this Internet scourge.

These emails do not really come from Amazon, and clicking on the attached file will install a malicious Trojan horse on your computer. Once it has slipped under your radar, this Trojan is capable of downloading further malicious code from the internet, giving hackers access to your PC. A real message from Amazon would never contain an attached executable file, and people should always think carefully before running unsolicited code on their computer.

However, when examined by an experienced virus analyst the similarities become clear. It appears that whoever wrote Zotob had access to the Mytob source code, ripped out the email-spreading section, and plugged in the Microsoft exploit.

All computer users should treat any unsolicited email attachments with extreme caution, or they run the risk of being ripped off. Anyone unfortunate enough to run malicious software could potentially be allowing hackers to gain access to their computer to spy, steal and cause havoc. Users need to savvy-up to reduce the risk of being taken in by greedy, money-grabbing internet criminals.