Phishing Attack Targets Yahoo Messenger

Yahoo Messenger is the target of a phishing attack in which victims receive messages that appear to come from people on their buddy lists. When they click on a link in a message, they're transported to what they believe is a Yahoo Web site, where their login information is taken down by perpetrators. A Yahoo spokesperson confirmed the attack Friday.

Earlier this month, MSN Messenger was hit by a worm attack in which recipients were asked to click on a link, causing keylogging software to be downloaded onto the victims' PCs.

The Yahoo Messenger attack appears to be the result of a worm that steals buddy-list data and sends out instant messages containing a link to the phony Web site, says Pete Lindstrom, research director at Spire Security, which provides research and analysis on information security. The message appears to come from someone the victim knows, making the scam more difficult to detect than an E-mail phishing attack.