Don’t Look at the AIM Virus

Over the last couple of days I’ve heard about a new AIM virus. I first started hearing about it online, and today I heard a couple of real life stories. Apparently this virus sends you a message asking “how do I look”. When you click on the link you instantly get infected and start sending the virus to everyone on your buddy list. Beyond that I don’t really know what this virus does. It still hasn’t been acknowledged by most anti-virus companies, so there really isn’t a fix yet.

My advice to prevent the virus would be just close any message windows that you get containing the “how do I look” text. Switching to Trillian or GAIM isn’t going to help stop this virus, so don’t think you’ll be safe using an alternative AIM client. The only thing Trillian or GAIM will do is prevent the virus from spreading; you can still be infected by it. Your best bet would be to switch to Mac. Just don’t go randomly clicking on links and you should be safe. Finally, if you get a message that contains the virus, be sure to let the person who sent it to you know that they’re infected. They might not know.

11 Comments

1 Jonathan on Oct 5, 2005 at 12:23 am (Quote):

i seens omething like that too, i got a random im from some1 in my buddylist whom i havent chatted since 1999 IMed me. i clicked the link and it said do you waht to save image.jpg.com. i said no. lol. i shoiuld say yes at school nextime i visit the campus to see what it does.
2 Tony on Oct 5, 2005 at 4:02 pm (Quote):
3 Tony on Oct 6, 2005 at 10:28 pm (Quote):
4 Paulina Haduong on Dec 17, 2005 at 9:15 pm (Quote):

So there’s no way to get rid of it? I clicked on it by mistake!
5 cavemonkey50 on Dec 17, 2005 at 9:59 pm (Quote):

You can try the universal AIM virus removal tool. Hopefully that will work for you.
6 anonymouse on Jan 1, 2006 at 9:17 pm (Quote):

FFFFUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!:!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::!::evil::evil::evil::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::sad::sad::sad::neutral::neutral::neutral::neutral:
7 Lorna on Jan 2, 2006 at 2:43 pm (Quote):

“They might not know” …oh believe me. when you have it, you know about it. i got it yesterday, and every like 15 mins or so it sends the link to everyone on your list, so there’s boxes popping up everywhere and then closing and then new windows popping up with messages from your contacts saying “what is it?”. |: lmao believe me, if you have it you know. i’ve tried my antivirus but it’s not registering it.. i guess if i can’t find a fix there’ll soon be an update for the antivirus software.
- L xo
8 I got it...the virus on Jan 2, 2006 at 4:27 pm (Quote):

Damn!

I thought it was a friend. I clicked on it, and then “poof”, my AIM just randomly started sending the EXACT same message I clicked on…how dumb was I…:mad:
9 Adem on Jan 7, 2006 at 12:39 pm (Quote):

hey, since i tried that aim fix from

“cavemonkey50″

i haven’t got the msg,
so i think it works

;-}
10 me on Nov 20, 2006 at 10:12 pm (Quote):

i tried the aimfix thing yesterday .. but the part where it says .. any virus’ removed will be listed above.. theres nothing listed! and today another new msg was sent to everyone on my list! what do i do? PLEASE HELP!:-( it’s driving me crazy!!
11 none on Feb 19, 2007 at 7:33 pm (Quote):

I suggest deleting AIM and then reinstalling