Warning on stealthy Windows virus

[snopes]

Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows virus that steals login details for online bank accounts.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7183008.stm

[BluesScale]

This report is basically accurate and the advise basically good

Blues

Computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 that are not fully patched are all vulnerable to the virus.

I was fully patched and got a nasty dose of it, the first I knew about it was when my virus detection software got infected and stopped working.

[BluesScale]

I am yet to see attacks (for this) that work on a fully patched box but that doesn't mean that there aren't any. Did you look at you internet history afterward?

Blues

[KKHB]

...booby-trapped websites that use vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser to install the attack code.

Does this mean that those of us using Firefox (or other browsers) are on the safe(r) side of this?

[BluesScale]

Maybe. Some attacks will use an exploit for whatever browser you connect with. MPACK (for example) is just as happy to exploit Firefox as IE.

As far as we are aware, this is not using any new exploits and patched IE is safe - but investigations are ongoing

Blues