The Kama Sutra worm, also known as Blackworm, Nyxem, and Blackmal, is a type of malware, or malicious software that infects PCs using the Windows operating system.
Discovered January 16, Kama Sutra was designed to destroy common files such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents when each computer's calendar hit February 3 and on the 3rd of each following month.
The worm arrived via e-mail, enticing computer users with promises of sexy pictures. The subject lines included "School girl fantasies gone bad," "Hot Movie," "Crazy illegal Sex!" and "Kama Sutra pics." But when users clicked on the attachment, they got an infected machine instead of pornography. Even if the e-mail you receive comes from the address of someone you know, don't open it because his/her might be infected.
It is recommended to scan your PC immediately before its too late.
In the United States, the FBI weighed in on the threat.
Immediately upon learning of this latest worm, the FBI acted swiftly and jointly with our partners in law enforcement and the anti-virus companies to investigate its origin and author(s). The investigation remains ongoing," a statement said.
The FBI directed computer users to additional computer safety tips on the Internet at the FBI Cyber Division's Internet Crime Complaint Center: [1].
How it works
The worm spreads through e-mail attachments with enticing links such as "best video clip ever" and "Hot Movie." Clicking on one of these links activates the worm.
Once executed, it can corrupt and overwrite the most common Windows file types: .doc, .pdf, .zip, and .xls, among others. This means the data will be changed and will be unrecoverable.
The worm also tries to disable antivirus software.
What to do
• Question e-mail messages, even if they seem to be from people you know. • Be aware of e-mail subject lines like "Hot Movie," "Kama Sutra pics," "FW: SeX.mpg," " the best video clip ever." • Don't click on questionable attachments. • Update your antivirus software and scan your computer. • Back up your most important data to CDs, DVDs, or zip drives. • Remember that, unlike other malware, Kama Sutra has no cure-all "patch."