Nasty new viruses that can make computer users' financial and personal information available to hackers and are activated simply by looking at e-mail are working their way around the world, Internet security experts said Thursday.

The new and more dangerous variations of the Bagle virus -- first discovered in January -- have been unleashed with a new twist: users no longer have to open an accompanying attachment to get the virus.

[. . . .] the virus is still triggered if users try to save the message on computers that have already been patched with the Microsoft fix.

"We found that even a patched computer is still vulnerable if someone tries to save the message," Kwon said. "This means people are going to have to change the way they send messages to one another."

[. . . .] Microsoft's patch can be found at Microsoft.


BAGLE VIRUS HAS NEW VARIANTS

The new variants of the Bagle virus discovered Thursday are transmitted through an e-mail message without an attachment. The variants are known as Bagle-P, Bagle-Q,, Bagle-R, Bagle-S and Bagle-T.

[. . . .] Here are some of the randomly-chosen subject lines the virus selects when mailing itself to other computers:

* E-mail account security warning.
* Notify about using the e-mail account.
* Warning about your e-mail account.
* Important notify about your e-mail account.
* Email account utilization warning.
* E-mail technical support warning.
* Email report.
* Important notify.
* Account notify.
* E-mail warning.
* Re: Msg reply.
* Re: Hello.
* Re: Yahoo! -Re: Thank you!
* Re: Thanks :).
* Re: Document.
* RE: Text message.
* Incoming message.
* Encrypted document.

The viruses exploit a known flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Outlook programs. Microsoft's patch can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com.