A toolbar is a browser add-on that allows you to perform actions in certain web services without actually accessing the site itself.

Researchers at McAfee said they had been sent a sample of the supposed toolbar from a customer and ran it in a test environment.

"Upon execution, it displays the eBay toolbar EULA (end-user license agreement) and the installation interface. And this program does indeed install the eBay toolbar," said Di Tian of McAfee.

However, McAfee said, things then began to get sinister. The toolbar automatically accesses the eBay site and creates a new account without any user input, and keeps this activity secret from the PC's owner.

Hackers can then use the eBay account name and login to remotely access an infected PC.

"A successful login suggests the infected machine could be completely controlled by a remote attacker," said Tian.

McAfee warned of downloading toolbars and other browser add-ons that don't come from trusted sources.

If you think you have been infected, you should make sure your anti-virus program is up-to-date and run a full system scan. The scan should pick up the infection so you can remove it.

www.mcafee.com

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