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Fake Microsoft Patch Triggers Virus Attack

Posted by Zonk on from the watch-what-you-click dept.

boarder8925 writes "eWeek reports: 'Like day follows night, a bogus cumulative update with a malicious attachment has followed Microsoft's patch day. In what has become a monthly staple, virus writers are taking advantage of the heightened public interest around Microsoft's patching cycle to trick users into executing a malicious attachment. The latest social engineering trick arrives via e-mail with an attachment that purports to be a 'cumulative patch' for May 2005.'"

14 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. This is why the "double standard" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is why when there's a security flaw in Firefox or the Mac people come out to say "thank gosh it was dealt with quickly, as usual."

    The situation with microsoft has reached a certain critical mass where there is no public awareness of an objective security reality.

    Here there be dragons. Beware.

    Undoubtedly a dozen comments will say something like "If users would just follow a few simple rules..." What is the trusted source for those simple rules now that the situation is so out of hand?

    Dark days indeed.

    1. Re:This is why the "double standard" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The simple rule is to know what you're doing, or, if you don't know what you're doing, have it done by someone you trust. People don't start working on their cars unless they know what they're doing. They have the maintenance done by a mechanic or an experienced friend. Yet somehow we think that computer maintenance should be done by complete ignorants. It's never going to work.

    2. Re:This is why the "double standard" by Smidge204 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What is the trusted source for those simple rules now that the situation is so out of hand?

      How about http://www.microsoft.com/ instead of your e-mail's inbox?
      =Smidge=

    3. Re:This is why the "double standard" by bigman2003 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Good point...

      BUT, I work in a small IT department- and we spend about 1/2 of our weekly meeting talking about how 'stupid' these users are.

      Not saying that I don't take part in the conversation...but I keep thinking to myself, "They aren't supposed to know this stuff, it isn't their job, it's OUR job."

      I really hate it when we get on our high-horses and look down at people because they don't know as much about the computer they use as we do. I would hope not, otherwise we would be some weak-ass IT people.

      I'm guilty to, and every IT person I have ever met is just as guilty. But when we need to purchase something, we walk over to the purchasing people and say 'I have no idea what I am doing, but I need to order this thing...' I wonder if when we leave, they all start laughing at us and call us a 'bunch of fucking idiots.'

      I hope so...because we have some real arrogant bastards in IT who really need to realize that nobody else really gives a damn about the difference between right-click and left click...

      --
      No reason to lie.
    4. Re:This is why the "double standard" by Blkdeath · · Score: 4, Insightful
      The simple rule is to know what you're doing, or, if you don't know what you're doing, have it done by someone you trust. People don't start working on their cars unless they know what they're doing.

      Conversely, many people start working on cars to learn how to do it.

      --
      BD Phone Home!

      Shameless plug. Like you weren't expecting it.

    5. Re:This is why the "double standard" by bsander · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, but not when they need that car the next morning to get to work. They usualy just get a piece of junk to toy with.

    6. Re:This is why the "double standard" by Blkdeath · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Yeah, but not when they need that car the next morning to get to work. They usualy just get a piece of junk to toy with.

      To steer back towards the topic; how many home computers are vital to a person's livelyhood? How many of us learned much of our IT skills by breaking and subsequently fixing our own (read: our parents') home PCs?

      --
      BD Phone Home!

      Shameless plug. Like you weren't expecting it.

    7. Re:This is why the "double standard" by bigman2003 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because many of the users are only using their computer to complete a task that is part of their bigger job.

      When I photocopy a set of manuals (that I wrote, just in case you were concerned with copyright...) in order to give a presentation, I put the paper in the copier and press 'start'.

      If it doesn't work the way it should, I take the originals out of the machine, and find a different copier that will work for me.

      I don't try to figure out what is wrong with the copier...or how to make booklets, instead of just stapled stuff. Or how to even print from my computer. Because I just don't care. I have enough stuff to think about that the copier should be something that doesn't require any thought at all.

      90% of the workforce feels the same way about their computer. We have people who are paid to edit books...and they know how to use all the advanced features in Microsoft Word far better than I would ever even dream of. But the moment there is a problem with their e-mail...they are lost.

      That's okay...because I can't punctuate correctly to save my life. But boy, I can make sure the e-mail server is functioning...

      --
      No reason to lie.
  2. How is this news? by shyampandit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I wonder how slashdot posts stuff like this, which is very common thing, that has been done numerous times.

    Social Engineering is getting to be an easier way for the script kiddes to get more victims, as more people put SP,2 which has the firewall enabled by default and so the usual attacks dont work.

  3. You know what'd stop lame social engineering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    In Gavin De Beckers book 'The Gift of Fear' he says that an effective way to stop assassins topping off high profile people is not to give them glorious media write ups. Bring 'em down a notch by stating what they are - savages who don't deserve civilization. Bruce Schneier talks about the same thing-publicity attacks. People who want attention. So stop paying attention to them.

    Now, I'm all for making public the attacks but I think we should start bagging out the actual attackers. Cmon, social engineering through an email? Sure it'll fool a few people, and a few people is all you need to bring down a network, but let's patronise these guys. They're fuckin' con men for pete's sake and lame conmen at that. The only people they're tricking is morons. I move for guys like this to be put down at every chance.

    Stop glorifying criminals!

    1. Re:You know what'd stop lame social engineering by MichaelSmith · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Well I have long held the opinion we spend far too much money particularly protecting politicians. I think we should spend less and if a few of them get knocked off they it will help to filter out the self serving interest bastards.

      Iraq seems to be trying this approach. It doesn't appear to be improving the situation for the populace as a whole.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
  4. Re:Stupid people by m50d · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why? They're just doing what they've been taught. They've been taught that anyone can use a computer (that's what all the MS advertising says). They've been taught that anyone can use the internet (that's what all the AOL advertising says). They've been taught that if they don't click yes at dialog boxes, things don't work (A very similar security warning is seen two or three times when logging in to hotmail. So users learn they're not serious) How can you blame them for simply doing what they've been taught?

    --
    I am trolling
  5. Re:Stupid people by BenjyD · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But if they weren't so stupid and actually stopped to think for five seconds they might think "Hang on, how does Microsoft know my email address?"

  6. It's a much more general education thing by jesterzog · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... that the best software in the world couldn't protect you from the stupidity of the guy in front of the monitor. Makes you wonder who is worse: Microsoft or their users?

    Not properly evaluating or understanding attachments that are sent via email is synonymous to not critically evaluating any information that's received... such as faithfully believing whatever happens to be published on the television evening news.

    Personally I'm not sure if it's so much a computer training issue. A lot of these problems might be solved in one go, if only the education system could focus a bit more on training people to be critical and cautious of all information that they receive.

    I'm not trying to imply that this is all the education system's fault, either. Society's just screwed up right now, and there are so many contradictory messages out that that completely undermine so much of what good education actually has to offer.