Microsoft Messenger Virus Hits Reuters IM

steman writes "Reuters had to temporarily shut down its private instant messaging service after being targetted by the W32/Kelvir-Re trojan. Reuters Messaging is implemented with Microsoft messenger technology and has more than 60,000 users. When activated, the Kelvir trojan sends itself to all users contacts via email and IM. Francis deSouza, chief executive of computer security provider IMLogic, said 'It just generated a flood of instant messages, so it suddenly slowed down the network for legitimate traffic. This is certainly a wake-up call, IM is just like any other communication media. The media needs to go hand-in-hand with security.'"

Comments

We haven't had that wake-up call yet?

[rlamoni]

I think many IT departments restrict the use of IM software for this very reason.

Re:We haven't had that wake-up call yet?

[Richie1984]

Which is a shame because whilst IM can be used for a lot of negative purposes, such as transfering virii or timewasting, it can also be used for a lot of positive reasons in business. For instance, it can provide, in my view, a more rapid and more effective way of communicating over long distance than email (obviously if both users are online at the same time). This can lead to greater communication within a company. IT departments should think carefully before banning IM programs across the board.

Re:We haven't had that wake-up call yet?

[FriedTurkey]

When our IT department took away IM, I thought it would decline the my productivity. It actually increased my productivity and I would never want IM back. There were too many annoying IMs from people who can immediately IM you with total crap. They first take some time to look at it themselves now because they have to expend extra effort to get on the phone or send an email.

Having IM is kinda like having everyone at your company working in your cubicle. Anyone can just blurt out some kind of crap without thinking it through.

Try turning off IM for a day and see how much real work can get done.

Don't blame Microsoft for this one.

[MarkByers]

No blaming Microsoft for this one. This time it is definitely the users' fault. The trojan simply sends a link to the contacts inviting them to download and run an executable.

And people still do it!? What will it take before people learn?

Re:Old News

[kfg]

"I shouldn't make such assumptions."

Correct. This is primarily a news reposting site, in order to generate discussion.

It's a forum, not a newspaper.

KFG

Trillian vs MSN?

[rathehun]

I guess this is why Trillian updated the MSN plugin today. Seriously, I don't know why more people don't switch to either Trillian or Gaim.

Reasons? I would be interested in hearing why. I don't use Gaim much, but I use Trillian everyday.

There is no way I'm going to use MSN Messenger after that. So many more useful functions - default logging of chat...however I'm not sure about the security aspects, and how it compares with Redmonds offering.

R.

Re:Trillian vs MSN?

[YrWrstNtmr]

The security aspect here is the clueless user, not the tool. This does not automagically propagate. If you got an unknown link from someone in Trillian that says "Click here!" and you did click, then another popup that asks if you want to install 'SomeFunkyProgram', would you?

No, of course not. You have a bit of a clue. But that's exactly what happened here. The only way Trillian or GAIM would be 'more secure' than MSN Messenger (in this instance) is if they disallowed clickable links in IM's, and/or had no stored contact list. Both of which would be major reductions in functionality.

GAIM and Trillian DO have major functionality benefits over AIM/MSN/Yahoo (notably, multi protocol) but a clueless user is a clueless user, no matter what client they use.

Re:Why is IM better than a phone?

[TeknoHog]

When you're discussing technical matters, it's easier to type a piece of source code or something, than spell it over the phone, hoping the recipient gets it right.

When you're in a deep hack mode, typing a message is much less distracting than talking to someone.

Why do people give Microsoft their money?

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, Microsoft creates architectures with guaranteed downtime, yet people still buy their products? I think their current revenues are holdovers from their monopoly in the 1990s, and the slip in their earnings is indicative of real slowdown for them. As GNOME/KDE desktops mature, people will certainly have few reasons to spend their hard-earned money on Windows and Office. If they want to spend the money, then spend it on Mac OS X and get something better than Microsoft could ever produce.

Re:Why is IM better than a phone?

[sydb]

1. Maybe you should try it then you might understand it?
2. IM is not really Instant, it's almost-Instant, which means you get a chance to read what you're about to say.
3. Go right ahead and type, you don't need to wait for the other party to finish their utterance
4. you can copy and paste things into IM. That's quite hard over a phone call
5. you get a log of the conversation. So if you need to go back and check a fact, you can. It's possible to record phone calls too but in IM it's automatic and it's much easier to search text than audio.
6. By logging into IM you are announcing your availability for chat. Not so with a phone call, which is a polling system (ring ring)
7. Lying requires less work
8. But really you have to TRY something before you DISMISS it.
9. there's probably more.

Re:Correction...

[ssj_195]

Not even remotely interesting, since most of those vulnerabilities were found by Firefox devs and hired auditing firms, rather than by seeing exploits in the wild. And how does "being a target" suddenly create more vulnerabilities? A vulnerability in a piece of software is either there or not, irrespective of how many people use it.

Having said that, I am of the opinion that as the number of people using Firefox increases, so will the number of exploits, but I can't imagine it ever reaching IE proportions; you pretty much have to design in that level of insecurity ;)

Programming 101

[t_allardyce]

No, this is a wake up call to programmers (the snooze button has been pressed by Microsoft regularly for the last 20 years):

When transferring any kind of data from one computer/system/program to another, where the source cannot be guaranteed trustable (hint: always) the data should be assumed to be intentionally malformed, as a result the system should either:

a) limit what the input data can do eg: not be executed as binary or a privileged command, not be capable of overflowing anything (ignore extra long data) not be capable of doing anything that you wouldn't allow any random person to do.

b) warn the user every time new data is to be processed and require acknowledgement to continue.

(b) is the reason why your operating system can't install random software people send it without warning/asking you.

(a) is for documents, emails, messages, pictures, music etc.

This is a pretty fundamental computing rule, its pretty much exactly like the basic gun safety rules: always assume the gun is loaded. always keep it pointed somewhere you don't mind a bullet going. always keep it unloaded. So you really have to wonder about peoples competence..

Re:AOL,Yahoo & MS

[penix1]

Microsoft makes itself a big target not only politically but technologically. It is their "extend, embrace, extinguish" attitude that got them into this mess (and other messes as well) when they integrated all their competition's code into the OS. It is sad really that "innovation" to Microsoft really means "acquire".

B.