It looks like the Microsoft Word Macro virus known as Melissa may have a new lease on life. At least two virus detection resources have reported that there’s a new strain of the Melissa virus now in circulation, and it may be threatening users of Microsoft’s Mac Office 2001 software.
Application service provider Messagelabs.com reports of new Melissa code infections contained in Mac Office 2001 Word documents. The outbreak would seem to have started in the U.K., with one report coming in from South Africa as well.
The document apparently reads:
Subject: Important Message From (person's name)
Body: Here is the document you asked for .. don't show anyone else ;-)
A file enclosure called Anniv.DOC (or some variant thereof) is included with the message.
Virex maker McAfee.com has updated its own Virus Information Library with information about the new Melissa virus, as well.
MacCentral will bring more details as they become available. Please check with your virus detection software maker to make sure you have the latest version of the software and the most up to date virus definition files installed.