MSNBC: Pro-Linux virus infecting companies Dec 1, 2000, 08 :21 UTC (27 Talkback[s]) (10302 reads) (Other stories by Bob Sullivan)
"A computer virus that poses as a Shockwave movie and
urges victims to install the Linux operating system has infected at
least four Fortune 500 companies according to antivirus firms. Known
as "Prolin," or pro-Linux, the bug politely places instructions on how to
recover from infections on the victim's computer. Experts are
concerned that it might spread quickly around the Internet...."
"It renames all JPG and ZIP files on the victim's
computer with the appendage "change atleast now to
LINUX." It then drops a text file called
MESSAGEFORU.TXT, which offers the following
advice:
"Hi, guess you have got the message. I have
kept a list of files that I have infected under this. If
you are smart enough just reverse back the process.
i could have done far better damage, i could have
even completely wiped your harddisk. Remember this
is a warning & get it sound and clear... - The
Penguin."
"The bug spreads in Melissa-like fashion, sending
itself to everyone in the victim's address book. When
that's finished, it apparently calls home and reports
in, sending a note to an e-mail address presumably
owned by the author. The subject line of that note is
"Job complete," and the message body says "Got yet
another idiot."
