Trend Micro says new malware is tempting computer users to enter CAPTCHA codes to remove clothing from the image of a model.
By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
October 30, 2007 03:10 PM
The author of a new Trojan is betting that e-mail users will trade security
for sex.
According to security company Trend Micro, new malware is tempting computer users to enter CAPTCHA codes — the images of letters and numbers used to separate humans from bots — to remove clothing from the image of a model.
“A nifty little program that Trend Micro detects as TROJ_CAPTCHAR.A disguises itself as a strip-tease game, wherein a scantily clad ‘Melissa’ agrees to take off a little bit of her clothing,” said security researcher Roderick Ordonez on the Trend Micro blog. “However, for her to strut her stuff, users must identify the letters hidden within a CAPTCHA. Input the letters correctly, press ‘go,’ and ‘Melissa’ reveals more of herself.”
But the CAPTCHA characters that users provide are used to subvert security measures at other Web sites.