Blaster worm mocks Gates

Security experts have detected a new computer worm that takes advantage of a recently discovered vulnerability in Microsoft Windows.

The worm, known as Blaster, does not spread via email but scans the internet looking for a computer that has not installed a patch for the security hole.

Blaster creates a file in the infected PC's system called msblast.exe, which contains the code of the worm and is triggered each time the operating system is restarted.

It contains a mocking message for Bill Gates, which doesn't get displayed: 'I just want to say LOVE YOU SAN!! billy gates why do you make this possible ? Stop making money and fix your software! !'

But more importantly, on 16 August the worm will launch a distributed denial-of-service attack on the windowsupdate.com website, which distributes important security patches from Microsoft.

"Many users have still not applied the patch. If they don't apply the patch before 16 August, and the worm is successful at knocking MS's windowsupdate.com site off the net with a denial of service attack, there will be real problems," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-virus.

Web users are advised to immediately download the Microsoft patch.