(April 28, 2009) -- Symantec Security Response has observed malware writers joining spammers in leveraging the Swine Flu to reach unsuspecting computer users. While samples are extremely limited, this appears to be yet another attempt by hackers to leverage current events as lures to distribute their malware.
Symantec Security Response has analyzed a malicious Adobe PDF document named "Swine influenza frequently asked questions.pdf." When users attempt to access the PDF file malcode within the PDF attempts to exploit an old Adobe vulnerability (BID 33751) in order to drop malware on the local computer.
Symantec detects the malicious PDF file as Bloodhound.Exploit.6 and the dropped malicious file contained in the PDF as InfoStealer.
Computer users should continue to observe security best practices by keeping all security and other software up-to-date and practice caution when opening suspicious files from unknown sources.
In addition Symantec has posted a blog on Swine Flu spam here:
The Top 10 spam subject lines are:
- Swine flu in USA
- Salma Hayek caught swine flu!
- US swine flu statistics
- Swine flu in Hollywood!
- NY victims of swine flu
- Swine flu worldwide!
- Madonna caught swine flu!
- First US swine flu victims!
- Will swine flu attack USA?
- US swine flu fears
