Tis' the season for malicious e-mail bearing gifts so beware of this innocent-looking music message lurking in your Inbox.

Another Christmas-related virus is on the loose. W32.Music arrives as an e-mail with a music file attached that accesses files found in Visual Basic Runtime 5 which are preinstalled in Windows 98 systems. The worm currently does not contain a dangerous payload but has the ability to update itself via the Internet.

How It Works
W32.Music arrives as an e-mail with the following information:

To: To all my friends

From: Test Mail

Subject: Testing to send file

Body: Hi, just testing email using Merry Christmas music file, not bad music.

Attachment: Music.com., Music.zip, or Music.exe

Users who click on the attachment will infect their computers if Visual Basic Runtime 5 files are present. The worm will display a window that reads "Merry Christmas" while playing a midi file rendition of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." The worm will also alter a user's default browser page when first accessing the Internet. Music will then attempt to connect to the Internet to download updated versions of itself. Once updated, the worm will attempt to copy itself to all e-mail addresses found in .WAB (Windows Address Book) and .DBX files. The worm also alters the system registry file.

Preventing a Music worm attack

Avoid the Music worm by taking the following precautions:

• Download Microsoft's Outlook Security Patch. If you haven't already installed it, download the Outlook 98 Security Patch or the Outlook 2000 Security Patch (which requires the Office 2000 Service Release 1a). Please note that this patch does not include Outlook Express.
• "Don't open attachments!" One way to prevent virus infections is not to open attachments, especially when viruses such as Music are being actively circulated. Even if the e-mail is from a known source, be careful. A few viruses take the mailing lists from an infected computer and send out new messages with its destructive payload attached. Always scan the attached files first for viruses. Unless it's a file or an image you are expecting, delete it.
• Stay informed. Did you know that there are virus and security alerts almost every day? Keep up-to-date on breaking viruses and solutions.
• Get protected. If you don't already have virus protection software on your machine, you should. If you're a home or individual user, it's as easy as downloading any of these five-star programs then following the installation instructions. If you're on a network, check with your network administrator first. If you're not sure if your existing anti-virus software is up-to-date, scan your system for free to find out.
• Scan your system regularly. If you're just loading anti-virus software for the first time, it's a good idea to let it scan your entire system. It's better to start with your PC clean and free of virus problems. Often the anti-virus program can be set to scan each time the computer is rebooted or on a periodic schedule. Some will scan in the background while you are connected to the Internet. Make it a regular habit to scan for viruses.
• Update your anti-virus software. Now that you have virus protection software installed, make sure it's up-to-date. Some anti-virus protection programs have a feature that will automatically link to the Internet and add new virus detection code whenever the software vendor discovers a new threat.