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A new worm, distributed as a Windows .EXE file attachment to a mass email, is one of the first to involve Microsoft's instant messenging programs in its exploit. Reports are somewhat in conflict on exactly what it does, but prevention and containment appear to be easy.

The W32.Nicehello@mm worm shows up as a 99,328 byte attachment to an email with one of a small number of possible subject lines. The list of subject lines and file names for the attachment may be found at the description at the Symantec Antivirus Research Center (SARC). SARC goes on to say that the worm attempts to steal Microsoft MSN and .NET Messenger passwords. Symantec added this worm to their LiveUpdate virus definitions on 3/12/03.

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