Extremely well written malware email

Ye' old general discussion board. Basically, for everything that isn't covered elsewhere. Come here to shoot the breeze, shoot your mouth off, or whatever suits your fancy.
This forum is not for asking programming related questions.

Moderator: General Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Ambush Commander
DevNet Master
Posts: 3698
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 9:29 pm
Location: New Jersey, US

Extremely well written malware email

Post by Ambush Commander »

The malware authors are getting smart. Very smart. All of the cues the normally tip one off to malware are missing from this email, except: 1. Microsoft would never email out updates and 2. You never run executables from emails. Otherwise it's impeccable; the PGP signature is a nice flourish.

Code: Select all

Dear Microsoft Customer,
 
Please notice that Microsoft company has recently issued a Security Update for OS Microsoft Windows. The update applies to the following OS versions: Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows Millenium, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista.
 
Please notice, that present update applies to high-priority updates category. In order to help protect your computer against security threats and performance problems, we strongly recommend you to install this update.
 
Since public distribution of this Update through the official website http://www.microsoft.com would have result in efficient creation of a malicious software, we made a decision to issue an experimental private version of an update for all Microsoft Windows OS users.
 
As your computer is set to receive notifications when new updates are available, you have received this notice.
 
In order to start the update, please follow the step-by-step instruction:
1. Run the file, that you have received along with this message.
2. Carefully follow all the instructions you see on the screen.
 
If nothing changes after you have run the file, probably in the settings of your OS you have an indication to run all the updates at a background routine. In that case, at this point the upgrade of your OS will be finished.
 
We apologize for any inconvenience this back order may be causing you.
 
 
Thank you,
 
Steve Lipner
Director of Security Assurance
Microsoft Corp.
 
 
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP 7.1
 
FJLI4BLXT8U7SJOKSBEV2ZUH35PUOI6FC6T2W1BZ4S0O7UV12KA9ERH17R2MOSU6K
4IFT4NKZ8QL0Q990A9O2197LC53JS3PML0276P9CALYSI6K3V3C1FV4N01F4O8ZH9
Q53S3SDPKRYEQHFACCTYORHNFBFBWF15431CZROM5694CCHISW8B67YPSI6KPFDE5
JEO801YXLC5JLWQB02MAI038QL6YZW1VRPS70ZQ4G1TN50LQMBOLRIH7ZIRLSEBKW
7P06MTDRMO0QY1840LBERE6VDA1UBHP7IHB==
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
User avatar
Mordred
DevNet Resident
Posts: 1579
Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:19 am
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Re: Extremely well written malware email

Post by Mordred »

"would have resulted"
Lamers ;)
But you are right, it's smart
User avatar
onion2k
Jedi Mod
Posts: 5263
Joined: Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:03 pm
Location: usrlab.com

Re: Extremely well written malware email

Post by onion2k »

It's probably just a modified version of an actual MSFT email.

I refuse to believe spammers are in any way intelligent.
Post Reply