The email, which has the subject line ‘Remembering Michael Jackson’ and claims to come from ‘sarah@michaeljackson.com‘, says that an attached ZIP file – titled ‘Michael songs and pictures.zip’ contains secret songs and photos of Michael Jackson.

A sample of the Michael Jackson-themed e-mail  borne out of the latest malware ( click image for a larger view )

However, by opening the attachment, computer users are exposed to infection.  Once infected, a computer will begin automatically spreading the worm onto other internet users.  Besides spreading via email, Sophos experts note that the malware is also capable of spreading as an Autorun component on USB memory sticks – an increasingly common trend for malware, as use of these devices becomes more and more popular.

“In light of the huge interest in Jackson since his sudden death, there are likely to be many computer users who are tempted into opening the attachment,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. “But sensible computer users should by now be well aware that cybercriminals will be quick to exploit news events to spread malware and spam.  Anyone who receives this email should delete it immediately to save themselves the embarrassment of infecting their email contacts.”

Sophos detects the malware proactively as Mal/ZipMal-B and Mal/VB-AD, and recommends that users of other anti-virus products ensure that their defences are properly updated.

Spammers use King of Pop’s death to harvest email addresses IT security and control firm Sophos is warning users to be wary of spam messages using the untimely death of music legend Michael Jackson to harvest unsuspecting computer users’ e-mail addresses for future spam campaigns.

Approximately eight hours after the King of Pop’s death yesterday, SophosLabs witnessed the first wave of spam messages taking advantage of the breaking news in the subject line and body of the email.

In these messages, the spammer claims that they have vital information about the death of Michael Jackson to share with somebody – ie. the user. Sophos experts note that the body of the email does not contain any call-to-action links – such as a URL, e-mail address or phone number – and the ‘from’ e-mail address is bogus, however the spammer can easily harvest recipients’ email addresses via a free live email address if computer users reply to the spam message.

“The untimely death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has sent shockwaves through the entire world – but unfortunately, this type of huge news story is also the perfect vehicle for spammers to snare vulnerable computer users,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. “These spammers are relying on curious users to reply to their bogus claims – but if you receive one of these messages you just need to delete it.”

“We’ve also discovered cybcercriminals taking advantage of the sad death of 70s TV icon Farrah Fawcett to spread fake anti-virus software, so users should certainly remain vigilant. The fact is that cybercriminals have no respect for taste and decency. The only thing they are interested in is making some money for themselves, and turning other computer users’ lives into a misery.”