An email that appears to be an invitation from Microsoft to download the beta for Internet Explorer 7.0 contains a worm, security experts have warned.
The images contained in the email could lead the recipient to download ie7.0.exe if clicked on and this file contains a virus known as Grum-A.
"The problem is that to the casual observer the email looks genuine, and the image displayed looks near-identical to the imagery that Microsoft is using on its website to promote Internet Explorer 7.0," said Graham Cluley at Sophos.
However, as the full version of Internet Explorer 7.0 was released in December 2006 many recipients are likely to want to download a beta version, though it could appeal to people who have not yet upgraded from the previous version.
Microsoft is one of the main targets for malware scams and all emailers are warned to look out for messages with a subject line that reads "Internet Explorer 7 Downloads".
"There have been many occasions when virus writers have coded attacks that have presented themselves as communications from Microsoft. Two years ago hackers directed internet users to a bogus website masquerading as Microsoft's update page," said Cluley.
http://www.sophos.com/