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Wikipedia Used To Spread Virus

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ware-the-internets dept.

eldavojohn writes "The German Wikipedia has recently been used to launch a virus attack. Hackers posted a link to an all alleged fix for a new version of the blaster worm. Instead, it was a link to download malicious software. They then sent e-mails advising people to update their computers and directed them to the Wikipedia article. Since Wikipedia has been gaining more trust & credibility, I can see how this would work in some cases. The page has, of course, been fixed but this is nevertheless a valuable lesson for Wikipedia users."

3 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. first post! by pazu13 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    So, is this the first example of serious Wikipedia scandal, such as the introduction of widespread spam to email users, or the defrauding of ebay users by people claiming to sell sports memorabilia? Or is this just an example of shoddy editing? (I am rather inclined towards the former.)

    --
    It wasn't me, it was the one-armed .sig!
  2. Busted worm by Tablizer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Hackers posted a link to an all alleged fix for a new version of the blaster worm.

    Fixed? Can't have broken worms, can we? The quality control of viruses lately has really slipped. The newer generation often only deletes half your harddrive before crashing; deletes the wrong software; or sends spam to old, dead email addresses instead of new ones. The virus writers often fail to test their viruses on different version of the OS and different vendor's machines. Sad.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  3. The wrong lesson by Muggins+the+Mad · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    The lesson?

    If you insist on running insecure desktop software, it isn't safe to use the Internet.

    But will it be learned?

    20 years and it hasn't yet.

    - MugginsM