Skype is warning of a new malware attack on users of the service. Users may inadvertently load a trojan horse that masquerades as Skype Defender onto their computers. The malware affects Windows Skype users and collects log-in and password information from the unsuspecting user.

Upon installation of the malware, a confirmation window pop-up appears on the screen and asks the user to log into his or her Skype account. Upon receiving the credentials, the user is notified that the username and password combination were not recognized.

Users can recognize the malware version of the plug-in. The appearance is slightly different than the standard Skype user interface. The legitimate Skype user interface features a red box around the sign-in button.

There is no indication that the malware affects anything other than Skype. Skype is owned by eBay.