New Worm Infects Through Explorer Flaw

LOS ANGELES – A new version of the Bugbear.e virus emerged on the Internet this week, infecting computers by exploiting a flaw in Windows-based Internet Explorer.

The worm uses an HTML email that exploits the flaw in browsers to cause its dangerous executable file to silently run without the user clicking on it.

The email messages that carry Bugbear.e are blank, use fake "from" addresses and can have one of many subject lines, including "Click on this!", "25 merchants and rising” and "15 FREE Bonus!" It carries an attachment with a name that's randomly chosen from a file found on the infected computer and has either a .zip or .htm ending. Clicking on the attachment also will cause infection by the virus.

As of Wednesday, there is no available fix or "patch" for Bugbear.e, which first appeared on Monday. But antivirus companies have rolled out software updates that can block Bugbear.e and other variants that also have emerged.

The virus isn't prevalent on the Internet, though its auto-execution feature could help it gain ground, according to Network Associates Inc.'s virus-response center, which also warned of a medium-risk virus known as "Netsky.s," which first emerged Sunday.

Such attacks are somewhat common in Trojan horses but worms like Bugbear.e unnerve security experts because large numbers of computers could be vulnerable to attack and quick defenses would be harder to come by.

Bugbear.e's use of a flaw with no available patch illustrates how the gap between the knowledge of a vulnerability and the release of malicious code that brings us ever closer to a zero-day network worm, an attack using a flaw that security experts don't yet know about.

Microsoft wasn't immediately able to comment on the flaw or when a fix might be available, but its support site, support.Microsoft.com, has additional information available.

The flaw that Bugbear.e exploits was disclosed in February and has since been used by several Trojan horses, which are dropped onto PCs by malicious websites. The virus essentially advances the delivery of a Trojan by using email to push PC users into viewing malicious web content.

Bugbear.e finds sensitive personal information and sends it to the attacker, including cookies, text from open windows and data captured by a program that logs keystrokes to grab passwords and credit card numbers.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More