My girlfriend is running the latest version of Avast 5 (set to automatically update itself, so it should have the most recent definitions) and received an IM from a link. The link looked quite trustful, so she clicked it (can I post the link here?).
Google Chrome prompted an executable download. Since Chrome always does that, she accepted and ran it. The file is called IM97612.JPG-www.myspace.com.exe. When she ran it, a MySpace page came up (or something that looked like it) and the computer locked up. Now it also sends the same message to me when she runs WLM.
Now the PC is disconnected from the Internet and running an Avast full scan, but Avast never complained about it.
OK two things:
1 how can you say the link looked trustful ???
2 where did you hear that any browser, Chrome or any other one, usually prompts to download executables ???
The file name and extension… all this is so obviously suspicious :
now it seems the malware is harvesting your girlfriend’s contact list to mass mail (or IM) and infect other computers. Only thing I can say is try to run malwarebyte http://www.malwarebytes.org/ clean your contact list in WLM, remove from contact list and block anything suspicious, don’t click on that link anymore. Do that on both computers, yours and your girlfriend’s. You’ll probably get something in your hotmail inbox as well, mark as junk and report to Microsoft if it happens.
Now, if it’s so obviously suspicious, how come Avast didn’t budge? ´
And if you don’t get it by yourself, I’ll explain: IM97612.JPG.(insert junk here) looks a lot like a normal JPG image to anyone less literate in computers.
Now, if it's so obviously suspicious, how come Avast didn't budge?
and how come yourself or your girlfriend are accepting contacts from people you never heard of before, and are downloading executables "blindly". You're responsible in the first place because you clicked. Now if you think the file you got is malware and wasn't detected, feel free to sublit it to Avast.
