Technology Update

August 6, 2008

Virus alert: "CNN.com Daily Top 10"

An e-mail with a title similar to "CNN.com Daily Top 10" is currently spreading over the Internet. Links within the e-mail, if clicked, download a malicious file named something like "get_flash_update.exe". This file compromises the machine to an extreme, typically forcing users and system administrators to rebuild the machine. Users who are potentially being compromised should notice a message about the version of Flash Player on their screen.

It is currently reported as affecting only those machines running Windows, although users of all operating systems are highly encouraged not to click on any suspicious or unknown links in e-mails. McAfee VirusScan currently does not detect this particular virus/malware. If you believe you have been affected by this virus, please contact eas-itap@purdue.edu.