Prolific worm infects 3.5m Windows PCs

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  1. Posts : 1,402
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #1

    Prolific worm infects 3.5m Windows PCs


    A prolific new worm has spread to infect more than 3.5m Windows PCs, according to net security firm F-secure. The success of the Conficker (AKA Downadup) worm is explained by its use of multiple attack vectors and new social engineering ruses, designed to hoodwink the unwary into getting infected.

    The worm uses a complex algorithm to develop a changing daily list of domains which infected machines attempt to establish contact with. Hackers need only register one of these possible names to establish contact with the botnet established by Conficker. The tactic is designed to frustrate attempts by security watchers to dismantle the command and control network associated with compromised machines.

    But the approach also made it possible for F-secure to register a domain infected machines were due to contact and monitor what happened. Analysis by the firm, based on data from this experiment, suggests that 3.5m machines or more are under the control of unidentified hackers.


    By comparison, the Storm worm was made up of somewhere between 500,000 and 1m zombie drones at its September 2007 peak, according to one recent estimate.

    Conficker began circulating in late November. As well as exploiting the MS08-067 vulnerability patched by Microsoft last October, brute forces administrator passwords in an attempt to spread across machines on the same local area network. The malware also infects removable devices and network shares using a special autorun.inf file.

    Analysis of the code by security watchers at the Internet Storm Centre has revealed its use of clever social engineering ruses that means users plugging an infected drive into a Windows machine might be fooled into thinking they are only opening a folder when they are actually clicking to run the worm's viral payload.

    Security experts suggest that users may want to disable Autorun, or even prohibit the use of USB devices, as a precaution. ®

    Prolific worm infects 3.5m Windows PCs • The Register
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  2. Posts : 4,282
    Windows 7 Ultimate Vista Ultimate x64
       #2

    That's bad news enchrada, I hope they come up with a fix soon, 3.5m that's allot of computers.
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  3. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 Beta 1 b7000
       #3

    According to Microsoft this is the list of affected software

    Any word on if this effects Windows 7?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Prolific worm infects 3.5m Windows PCs-capture.png  
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  4. Posts : 77
    Windows 7 build 7000 x86
       #4

    Another 3.5mill bites the dust. I hate botnets, with a passion. If you ever get it, the best you can hope for is to get two competing ones and hope that they kill each other. Otherwise it's hard to know.
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  5. Posts : 4,364
    Windows 11 21H2 Current build
       #5

    I read the story the shocking thing is that F-Secure reported 2.5M the *previous* day.

    That's right, it grew by 1M computers in a single day.
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  6. Posts : 77
    Windows 7 build 7000 x86
       #6

    I do believe that the AV companies and the likes estimate that 1/3rd of all PC's connected to the internet is infected with botnet software.
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  7. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 Beta 1 b7000
       #7

    According to an article on Computer World that figure is up around 9 million as of today...

    Please people, make sure all of your security software is up to date, and install Microsoft's emergency update, and finally run their FREE malware removal tool (does not replace your anti-virus) to make sure you're clean. In this day and age, you just cannot run an insecure system.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 3
    7
       #8

    i had some spyware on my pc when i installed windows 7. I used malewarebytes.org freeware version and it removed them.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 77
    Windows 7 build 7000 x86
       #9

    I do like Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware alot. I remember getting some spyware, XP something AV - and I tried everything I knew except for a full install, I didn't try Malwarebytes until after 4 hours of wrestling, and it cleaned it in 3 mins and a reboot. I swear, I had a huge crush on it for a while after. It's still good, but the sensation has faded =P
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  10. Posts : 44
    Windows 7 x64 & Ubuntu 9.04 x64
       #10

    Anti-virus firm F-Secure estimates there are now 8.9m machines infected.
    - bbc.co.uk

    it's even on their front page. I did a scan a few days ago and didn't have anything, been using Linux (primary OS) since so i doubt I'll have got it since.
      My Computer


 
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