Pioneer sent 10,000 customers virus e-mail messages

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By Kuriko Miyake

(IDG) -- Japan's Pioneer inadvertently sent virus-infected e-mail messages to more than 10,000 customers last month and infected the computers of at least 19 of them, the company reported Tuesday.

The virus attached to the e-mail, named Troj_Hybiris, is a semipolymorphic worm that spreads via e-mail and is not effective unless the attached file is opened, according to anti-virus software vendor Trend Micro. However, once the file is opened it looks for an Internet connection. After it detects a connection, it monitors all e-mail sent and received. It sends an additional e-mail message with a copy of the worm each time an e-mail is sent, the anti-virus company said.

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The incident occurred on March 2 at 4 p.m. when Pioneer started distributing information on its events and new products to 10,758 users registered to a company e-mail service, said Akira Munetoh, a spokesman for Pioneer. Several users immediately returned the e-mail to the company. By 5 p.m. the company had realized that it sent the virus to all subscribers.

The following morning and again on March 12, the leading Japanese consumer audiovisual electronics company sent out a virus alert and apology, with an attached fix for the virus. As of April 10, 19 users had reported damage, Munetoh said.

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Pioneer North America, Inc.


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