 - The Anna Kournikova VBS.SST computer virus, informally known as "Anna," is a viral worm that uses Visual Basic to infect Windows systems when a user unwittingly opens an e-mail note with an attachment that appears to be a graphic image of Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova. However, when the file is opened, a clandestine code extension enables the worm to copy itself to the Windows directory and then send the file as an attachment to all addresses listed in your Microsoft Outlook e-mail address book.
The virus arrives as e-mail with the following subject, message, and attachment:
Subject: Here you have, ;o)
Message body: Hi: Check This!
Attachment: AnnaKournikova.jpg.vbs
There are a number of variants of the virus that according to Symantec Corp. "have been encoded using a virus-creation kit." Extensions include VBS.Lee-o, VBS.OnTheFly, I-Worm.Lee.o and VBS.WG.Fly worm. If the date in your computer is Jan. 26, the "Anna" virus also causes your Internet browser to open to a Web site in the Netherlands, where the virus appears to have originated.
Although its geographic distribution and presence in the wild are both assessed as high, the Anna virus appears to pose only low-to-medium risk. Researchers say the virus is more of a nuisance than a threat, since it does not damage the systems it infects. SST also is easy to contain and to remove from infected computers.
| CONTRIBUTORS: |
Garry Kranz and Jon Panker |
| LAST UPDATED: |
13 Sep 2004
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