Microsoft worms continue to spread

More versions of a worm that exploits vulnerable Windows software are on the loose and have affected several major media companies including CNN, ABC and The New York Times.

Security experts discovered new versions of the Zotob worms, which have the capability to propagate via a network of “zombie” computers that become infected without the user’s knowledge.

According to experts, there are multiple variants of the Zotob worm from multiple authors as well as new viruses using the same exploit code, including Zotob.C, Zotob.D, Rbot.cbq and Dogbot.A.

The worms spread to systems running Windows 2000, XP and Windows Server 2003. Some variants search for the most popular adware programs to delete their files and directories and can force affected machines repeatedly to shut down and reboot.

Joe Hartmann, director of the Anti-Virus Research Group at antivirus company Trend Micro, said: “We are seeing several new variants of Zotob, as well as other bots, which all use the same exploit code.

“They all have the same core functionality, but have added new code functionality, such as a mass mailer. This can lead to faster and more widespread proliferation around the world,” he added.

Web users should ensure that their computers are properly patch against Microsoft security holes and that their antivirus solution is kept up to date.

Trend Micro
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