Looks serious.

ism



PrettyPark hits Windows users hard

Victims of e-mail virus increase 2,000 percent over the weekend, Symantec
reports.

By Shauna Sampson, ZDTV
June 7, 1999 4:25 PM PT

PrettyPark, a French e-mail virus, got a tremendous boost from home PC users
this weekend. Anti-virus software maker Symantec said it has observed an
increase of 2,000 percent in apparent victims since Friday.

These victims of the virus, which is being described as a worm with Trojan
capabilities, are likely Microsoft Windows users who are being sent to a
custom Internet relay chat channel without their knowledge. Once there,
victims' personal data -- ranging from e-mail address book lists, operating
system preferences and registration numbers, passwords, and form data
(including stored credit card information) -- can be potentially retrieved
from the victim's PC without their knowledge by the virus writer.

PrettyPark is the first known worm with Trojan capabilities and its very own
custom IRC channel.
"This virus took months to write, and it's creator put a great deal of
effort into it," says Steve Trilling of Symantec (Nasdaq:SYMC). "But it only
took us 15 minutes to come up with the cure."

However, consumers are being hit harder by the virus because they are less
likely to update their anti-virus software than large companies or
businesses and are more likely to open and run executables sent by what
appears to be family or friends.

Spread via e-mail

The virus is spread when PC users open an attached e-mail program file named
"PrettyPark.EXE".
When executed, it may display the Windows 3D pipe screen saver while it
creates and sends duplicate files of itself to e-mail addresses listed in
the user's Internet address book. PrettyPark will run this routine every 30
seconds, without the user's knowledge. It will also connect to the custom
IRC channel while the PC owner is on the Internet or reading e-mail while
connected to a remote server.

PrettyPark: Part worm, part Trojan

So far only Windows-based systems seem to be vulnerable, the virus is
definitely spreading and anti-virus software manufacturers are expecting to
see more victims in the IRC chat rooms.
Protecting yourself

In order to protect themselves from PrettyPark and other viruses, PC users
should update their anti-virus software and avoid opening e-mail
attachments.

Researchers are trying to determine if other e-mail programs, such as Eudora
and Lotus Notes, are vulnerable, presently the Mac and Linux Operating
Systems do not seem to be effected.

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