PandaLabs warns of a false virus for blogs that is causing confusion among blog writers and readers. This supposed malicious code, discovered last January, is simply a joke created by a Dutch author which suggests inserting an animated graphic in blogs. The graphic is a picture of a virus that makes a series of comments, such as how it intends to dominate the blogs around the world.
PandaLabs reminds users that even though this fake virus poses no threat, there is a possibility that the same technique might be used to spread genuinely damaging malicious code. To avoid potential problems, PandaLabs advises users not to insert references to third-party code on personal web pages, even if they are simply jokes. For those who want to insert items from other sites, it is important to ensure that no calls are made to remote servers and that the content is hosted on the author’s server.
According to Luis Corrons, “The malware situation is currently quite delicate, as complex social engineering techniques are frequently used and it is possible that malicious code could be spread involuntarily among circles of blog writers exchanging information.”
If blog writers and readers suspect that malicious code on a web page may have infected their computer, Panda Software offers ActiveScan (www.pandasoftware.com/activescan), a free online scanning tool that detects malicious code. ActiveScan includes TruPrevent Technologies, which can even detect unknown malicious code.
For further information about these and other computer threats, visit Panda Software’s Encyclopedia at http://www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/encyclopedia
