New AIM Instant Messenger Worm Impersonates iTunes   7/20/2005 - 1,280 views,

Propogating itself across AOL’s Instant Messenger platform, AIM, Opaniki.y / Oscabot-L tricks unwary users into clicking on it by making them think that it is associated with a legitimate product, iTunes, piggy-backing on the success of Apple’s wildly popular music software for both Mac and Windows.

Once clicked on and installed, Opaniki.y sets about sending a self-propogating message to everyone in the host user’s AIM buddy list.

According to a TrendMicro advisory, Oscabot-L (Opaniki.y) also “connects to an Internet Relay Chat server . This enables a remote user to perform malicious commands on the affected machine. The said routine provides remote users virtual control over affected systems, thus compromising system security.”

Advises Sophos analyst Graham Cluely, “Of course, all Internet users should exercise great caution about what programs they choose to run on their computer — whether they arrive via Web download, e-mail attachment or Instant Message. This worm is unlikely to be much more than a storm in a teacup, but it still makes sense for everyone to ensure their anti-virus software is continually kept up to date.”