YIKES

Malware Infects Computers in Mideast

Contains text from 2011 Beast article on Israel, Iran.

We generally like being part of the conversation, but this is one we’d rather not participate in. A new type of phishing malware infecting at least 800 computers in the Middle East and parts of Central Asia mysteriously linked to a November 2011 Daily Beast article, “Israel’s Secret Iran Attack Plan: Electronic Warfare.” Russian and Israeli cybersecurity firms identified the malware, named “Mahdi” or “Madi” in reference to an Islamic messiah figure, which contains a religious-themed PowerPoint attachment and an attached text file of Eli Lake’s report on Israel’s response to Iran’s nuclear program. The cybersecurity firms have found no connection linking this new malware to the “Flame” or “Stuxnet” viruses that were detected earlier this year on computers in Iran and the Middle East.