Computer Associates International Inc has warned of a new virus, the WIN32/VIDEO.25600.WORM, being reported this by a major CA client. This worm similar to the W32.Mypics.Worm (Mypics) worm, spreads on Windows platforms through e-mail and has a payload that deletes files.

CA said it is rating the danger level of this worm as medium and is closely monitoring its progress. The worm sends out e-mail messages without a subject line and with a message that reads, 'Here's a digital video for you.' A video.exe file is an attachment.

The worm deposits two files, VIDEO.EXE and ZIP01.EXE, to the C:\hard drive. The worm will try to delete all INI files (configuration files) from the Windows directory and from other files in the system directories, making it impossible to boot into Windows. This variant to Mypics will attempt to forward a copy of itself to addresses in a user's MS Outlook e-mail address book, CA said in a press statement.

Even as CA's antivirus researchers continue to analyse the worm, users can protect their informationimmediately by watching for and downloading the latest signature file of InoculateIT, CA's premier antivirus solution, at www.cai.com/virusinfo/, the company said.