Virus writers are trying to trick users into opening a Trojan horse on their PC by passing malicious code off as a "suicide photographs" of Osama bin Laden. At a result, Usenet newsgroups are overflowing with bogus messages claiming that journalists found the terrorist leader's hanged body earlier this week.

The messages direct users to a website where a file can be downloaded, purporting to contain photographs but in reality containing the Hackarmy Trojan horse. Hackarmy gives virus writers control over infected machines. The Trojan has been around for some months so users with up-to-date AV software should be protected.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at AV firm Sophos, said: "It looks like virus writers are trying to give it a new breath of life by targeting Usenet." ®

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