Thursday, 9 November 2006

Google Accidentally Sends out e-Mail Worm to 50,000 Subscribers

Google has unintentionally sent the Kama Sutra e-mail worm to 50,000 subscribers of a Google Video e-mail group. Three postings were made on November 7 to an e-mail list that sends out postings to the Google Video blog. "Some of these posts may have contained a virus called W32/Kapser.A@mm, a mass-mailing worm," Google said in a note on its Web site apologising for the incident.

"Some of these posts may have contained a virus called W32/Kapser.A@mm -- a mass mailing worm. If you think you have downloaded this virus from the group or an e-mail message, we recommend you run your antivirus program to remove it," said the statement, which was attributed to the Google Video Team.

Kama Sutra was designed to overwrite files on infected computers on a specific date. However, the worm, which spread under the guise of pornographic content, caused virtually no damage.

Google advises people who may have received the worm in e-mail or downloaded it from the group's Web site to run an anti-virus program to remove it. The company is taking steps to ensure it doesn't make the same mistake again, it said.