Sober-N, a new variant of the computer worm Sober is spreading in both English and German, with the German version disguised as a successful confirmation of a ticket order to the 2006 World Cup. European soccer fans are falling fast for the e-mail promise of free tickets to the 2006 World Cup finals in Berlin. Computer users are asked to click on an attachment for more information.
This variant seems to have caught a lot of people off guard because its release coincided with a mail out by Fifa telling fans about tickets.
"Many people will be eager to attend one of the biggest sporting events in the world next year, and may think its worth the risk of opening the email attachment just in case the prize is for real. Computer users who don't practise safe computing will feel as sick as a parrot, and will only be passing this worm onto other unsuspecting victims." Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos said,
The English version is not soccer related, instead it implies that there is some problem with the user's e-mail that needs to be addressed, by clicking the attachment. Anyone opening these attachments will have their computer infected, their address book seized and a back door into their machine opened for others to use.
Sober-N, was identified on Monday, and affects computers running Windows 2000, 95, 98, Me, NT, Server 2003 and XP.
"Essentially, it is doing classic social engineering," said Gregg Mastoras, a senior security analyst at the Anti-virus company Sophos.
