Twitter Accounts Spreading Malicious Code:

Cybercriminals are exploiting Twitter to spread malware using festive-themed messages, according to PandaLabs. Using methods akin to black hat SEO techniques, hackers are taking advantage of trending topics to position malware distribution campaigns.

Thousands of tweets have been launched using holiday-related phrases.

Users who click the link will be taken to a page that infects systems with false codecs. These exploit a security hole in PDF files and try to trick users into downloading a codec that is really a downloader Trojan, which in turn downloads more malware onto the compromised computer.

In addition to subjects related to Christmas, cyber-criminals are using other hot topics to spread their creations, including the Sundance festival, the AIDS campaign, the Carling Cup and tweets about the actor Morgan Freeman. [Date: 3 December 2010; Source: http://www.net- security.org/malware_news.php?id=1554]