Just when I think maybe the traditional hoax/chain message is finally dying (or at any rate the type that describes mythical malware), along comes another, though it’s spreading through Facebook rather than email as in days of old.
This one warns against “the Christmas Tree app”: here’s a version cited by Graham Cluley.
WARNING!!!!!!…..DO NOT USE THE Christmas tree app. on Facebookplease be advised it will crash your computer. Geek squad says its oneof the WORST trojan-viruses there is and it is spreading quickly.Re-post and let your friends know. THANKS PLEASE REPOST!
Darn it, Graham, you know I can’t resist a classic hoax. 😀 (By the way, he describes the hoax in much more detail than I have, so if this is all new to you, check out his article.)
Graham has also, Scrooge-like, been visited by the Ghost of CHRISTMA EXEC, also known as the Christmas Tree Worm or the BITNET chain letter. This was launched on 9th December 1987. I’m sure no-one will mind me quoting one of my own books*, so just in case anyone is interested in this bit of viral pre-history, I’ve posted some more information on the ESET blog.
David Harley CITP FBCS CISSP
ESET Senior Research Fellow
*Viruses Revealed, by David Harley, Robert Slade and Urs E. Gattiker: Osborne, 2001
Check Chain Mail and Hoaxes 
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By: ROFLing Around The Christmas Tree* | Security Antivirus Virus on November 25, 2010
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