Symantec Virus Advisory Alert

SurfControl, a global leader in Internet protection, has issued an alert to customers to a high risk malicious email which appears to be a Symantec Virus advisory, but actually is an e-mail that contains a payload that disables anti-virus updates. The email has a spoofed "From" address that indicates the message is from Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus division; and it indicates the user's machine is infected with a virus called w32.aplore@mm. The email directs the user to a "cleaner" link that will eliminate the infection. When a user clicks on the link in the suspect virus notification, an executable is downloaded, and upon execution it modifies the user's host file. The changed host file disables the user's anti-virus software updates, leaving the user susceptible to further malicious activity.