Gorinchem, November 3, 2006 - IT security firm Sophos has urged computer users to display caution when dealing with unsolicited emails and unqualified online information sources, after hackers took advantage of the popular Wikipedia encyclopaedia in an attempt to spread malicious code.
Wikipedia allows anyone to create and modify articles, a policy of openness which has often been abused by mischief-makers in the past. Taking advantage of this, hackers created an article on the German edition of Wikipedia containing false information about a new version of the Blaster worm, along with a link to a 'fix' for the worm. However, in reality the fix was actually a piece of malicious code, designed to infect visitors' PCs.
The hackers then spammed out an email to German computer users, which purported to come from Wikipedia, and directed recipients to the fraudulent information. Because the emails linked to a legitimate website, they were able to bypass some anti-spam solutions. Sophos's global network of spamtraps intercepted the spam messages, and Sophos customers were protected from receiving the emails.
"The good news is that the authorities at Wikipedia quickly identified and edited the article on their site," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Unfortunately, however, a version of the page remained in the archive, allowing the hackers to send out spam and continue to direct visitors to the malicious code."
Wikipedia has now confirmed that it has permanently erased all versions of the page.
"The very openness of websites like Wikipedia - which allow anyone to edit pages - makes them terrific, but can also make them less trustworthy. In this case, the article in question wasn't just misleading, it was downright malicious," continued Cluley. "Everyone should exercise caution and ensure they have appropriate defences in place to protect their computer systems. Additionally, people should remember that if there really is a new threat on the internet, you're likely to hear about it first from the security companies, not an online encyclopaedia."
Sophos recommends companies protect their desktops, servers and gateways with a consolidated solution to thwart the threats of viruses, spyware, phishing and spam.
Further information, and the text of the spammed email can be found
here.
About Sophos Benelux
Sophos Benelux, a Sophos distributorship located in Gorinchem, is dedicated to providing Sophos solutions and services to its partners, resellers and customers in the Benelux region. Sophos is a world leader in integrated threat management solutions, developing protection against viruses, spyware, spam and policy abuse for business, education and government.
About Sophos
Sophos is a world leader in integrated threat management solutions, developing protection against viruses, spyware, spam and policy abuse for business, education and government. Sophos’s reliably-engineered, easy-to-operate products protect more than 35 million users in more than 150 countries. Through 20 years’ experience and a global network of threat analysis centers, the company responds rapidly to emerging threats – no matter how complex – and achieves the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the industry.
For more information, please contact:
Sophos
Marnix van Meer
Tel: +31 655700255
m.vanmeer(at)sophosbenelux.com
Creative Strategies
Elke De Ridder
Tel: +32 2 267 41 60
ederidder(at)creative-strategies.be