Email harvesting virus crashes Google

Found on New Scientist on Monday, 26 July 2004
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The Google web site was disabled for much of Monday after a new virus flooded its servers with search requests for email addresses.

Like previous versions of the virus, MyDoom.o rifles through the email address book of an infected computer to find its next victims. But it also extracts domain names, for example newscientist.com or aol.com, and feeds these into search engines, in the hope of harvesting new email addresses from message boards or personal home pages.

Unlike many viruses, MyDoom.o does not exploit a software bug, but is spread when a user clicks on an email attachment. The virus also installs a "back door", allowing a virus writer to control the computer remotely.

Cunningly, the file is hidden in a message which appears to come from a system administrator, for example "the team at newscientist.com". The email warns the user that his machine is being used as a spam bot.

It always amazing how dumb users are. After all the virii, spam and scam emails, the majority still falls for it. What's with that "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" thing?