A virus with a (political) conscience
A new virus emerges that spreads its infection with a political message detailing the plight of Palestinian children reportedly being killed by Israeli soldiers. The virus author, apparently disturbed by the lack of media attention, provides graphic details of one such assault and makes a plea to stop the blood shed.
The virus, dubbed VBS/Staple, is a mass-mailing email worm with a twist. Instead of just emailing the first 50 users found in the Windows address book, it also sends separate emails to several Israeli government officials and organizations, as well as spontaneously opening several websites that appear to be devoted to the cause of the Palestinians. Staple is received in the following manner:
"PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES FOR DISTURBING YOU.
Remember that one day YOU may be in this situation.
We need every possible help.
Israeli soldiers killed in cold blood 12 year old Palestinian child
Mohammad Al-Durra, as his father tried to protect him in vain with
his own body. As a result of the indiscriminate and excessive use of
machine gun fire by Israeli soldiers, journalists and bystanders
watched helplessly as the child was savagely murdered.
Palestinian Red Crescent Society medic Bassam Balbeisi
attempted to intervene and spare the child's life but live
ammunition to his chest by Israeli fire took his life in the process.
The child and the medic were grotesquely murdered in cold blood.
Mohammad's father, Jamal, was critically injured and permanently
paralyzed. Similarly, approximately 40 children were slain, without
the media taking notice or covering these tragedies.
THESE CRIMINAL ACTS CANNOT BE FORGIVEN OR FORGOTTEN!!!!
HELP US TO STOP THE BLOOD SHED!!"
http://www.sabra-shatila.org/
Staple is a VBScript worm and requires Windows Scripting Host be installed in order to run. As such, it affects Windows users only.Subject: "RE:Injustice"
Message: Dear (recipient name),
Did you send the attached message, I was not expecting this from you !
Attachment: "injustice.TXT.vbs"
The Staple virus also displays the following message:
http://www.petitiononline.com/palpet/petition.html
http://www.palestine-info.org
http://freesaj.org.uk/
http://hanthala.virtualave.net/
http://www.ummah.net/unity/palestine/index.htm
