What is an IM Virus?

An IM Virus is a form of trojan horse virus that infects a computer in a passive manner.  IM Virus infection comes from an unsuspecting user clicking a link whose destination is different that the stated text.  All trojan horse viruses are malicious programs disguised as something benign such as a document, or in this case, a link to a web site.  

What does an IM Virus do?

If your computer is infected, the virus will attempt to spread itself by placing links in your profile and automatically sending messages to buddies on your list.  As with many trojan horse viruses, the infection may attempt to send personal information back to the creator of the virus. According to Kaspersky, IM viruses are becoming increasingly prevalent. During 2004, an average of one IM worm was discovered each month. However in 2005 security researchers detected, on average, 28 IM worms monthly.

How can you tell if you've been infected?

If your computer has been infected with an IM Virus you will have following symptoms:

• Various suspicious links have been placed in your profile
• The Registry Editor (RegEdit), Microsoft Configuration (MSConfig) and the Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) will not remain open.
• You have "badfile.scr" (screen saver) or "dontopenme.exe" (executable program) files that you don't remember downloading.

 
What to do if you have been infected:

If you have been infected with an IM Virus or think your computer has some of the symptoms described above please download the AIM Virus Fix. Please note that this utility may not be able to remove all AIM virus variants. If your computer cannot be cleaned using AIMFix, you may need additional assistance. ISS Student Technology Services is available for virus and spyware removal, and can be reached at (202) 994-7041.

For more information about AIM virus symptoms, removal instructions and suspicious AIM activity please visit http://www.jayloden.com/VirusClean.htm