Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 8

"Ben Laden" virus for Palm OS????

Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere, but has anyone received an email message asking you to download an attachment (called antivir.zip) and install it on your Palm OS PDA to scan for the "Ben Laden" virus?????

Looks mighty fishy to me especially since the email message I got was from "Anna Marcelli" <[email protected]> ????

Also, when I did a Google search, I only found a couple of links to a pda forum from DE, which contained posts in a foreign language and really bad english. This looks like a typical socially engineered email to dupe Palm PDA owners into installing some malware.

Any thoughts?

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Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 8

Text of email message

Here is the text of the email message:

"This virus affects handheld devices running the PalmOS operating system. This includes devices manufactured by Palm, Handspring, IBM, TRG, and Symbol Technologies.

When activated, the virus deletes all application files on the device and then formats it. The virus is generally installed to a PalmOS device from a host computer during a HotSync operation. It can also be beamed from one Palm device to another via infrared. It is possible for OmniSky wireless internet users to receive this virus via e-mail as an attachment.

The virus was initially distributed on PalmGear.
To remove the virus from Palm, please use PalmOS Antivirus.
The PalmOS Antivirus will scan your Palm for the Ben Laden virus. If Ben Laden is found, the tool will remove the copies of the virus found on the Palm.

The latest version of the best and most popular PalmOS Antivirus is attached to the message.

PalmOS Antivirus:

* PalmOS Antivirus runs in your handheld and provides strong protection against
any known malware for the Palm platform.
* Our NEW TECHNOLOGY is able to detect and remove new and unknown viruses
automatically.
* Protection from viruses, trojans, hackers and privacy threats.
* The world's leading antivirus software defends your computer 24 hours a day.
* Keeps itself updated with exclusive liveupdate technology.
* Compatible with Palm OS 5.0 and Sony Clie.
* New ULTRA-FAST scan engine.

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Registered: May 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11

Re: "Ben Laden" virus for Palm OS????

quote:

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Originally posted by Visor-Tex
Forgive me if this has been posted elsewhere, but has anyone received an email message asking you to download an attachment (called antivir.zip) and install it on your Palm OS PDA to scan for the "Ben Laden" virus?????

Looks mighty fishy to me especially since the email message I got was from "Anna Marcelli" <[email protected]> ????

Also, when I did a Google search, I only found a couple of links to a pda forum from DE, which contained posts in a foreign language and really bad english. This looks like a typical socially engineered email to dupe Palm PDA owners into installing some malware.

Any thoughts?

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Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

Absolutely bogus

I would send a copy of the mail to sarc.com so they can add it to their database of hoaxes, spams, and trojans. As Darth said, there are no PalmOS viruses in the wild (Symantec has a Palm AV product and lists a coupld of Palm trojans but if you read the description of Palm.Phage.Dropper and Palm.Vapor they both say there are no known examples of users being infected by either).

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