A Barracuda Networks researcher has warned that scammers are using the Google Doodle to spread malware.

"Typically, scammers capitalize on public interest in news events or celebrities, targeting searches like 'Swine Flu' or 'Michael Jackson death,'" writes CNET News' Elinor Mills. "But in the latest twist on this technique, scammers are exploiting interest in the Google Doodle, the graphics that often take over the Google logo on holidays or to mark special events."

"For instance, the doodle on Tuesday showed a flag for Esperanto, a universal language created by L.L. Zamenhof which is based on parts from a variety of languages," Mills writes. "Clicking on the doodle, located near the search box, brings up a list of search terms for 'L.L. Zamenhof.' Dave Michmerhuizen, a research scientist at Barracuda Networks, found 31 poisoned sites among the first 100 results, 27 of them in the first 50 sites alone."

Click here to read the CNET News story.