{Non-Jyotish}NEWS: Nyxem worm poised to wreak havoc

[Guest guest]

Nyxem worm poised to wreak havoc

 

Friday is D-Day, but worm may turn sooner

Iain Thomson, vnunet.com <http://www.vnunet.com/> 02 Feb 2006

 

Alerts have been issued by Microsoft <http://www.microsoft.com/> and others

over the Nyxem.E <http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/nyxem_e.shtml> worm, also

called 'Blackworm', 'Mywife', 'Karma Sutra' or 'Blackmal', that is due to

start destroying computer files on Friday 3 February.

 

Nyxem.E is one of the most destructive worms in recent memory and could

erase all Word, PowerPoint and Excel files on affected computers when it

activates tomorrow.

 

But some users are already losing data because of faulty time settings on

their computers.

 

"The Nyxem.E deadline is based on the clock of the infected machine. If

you're infected and your clock is not set right, things could start to

happen at any time even though the official activation is the third of the

month," explained Mikko Hyppönen, chief research officer at

F-Secure<http://www.f-secure.com/>

..

 

"We have already received reports from users who have had files on their

system overwritten by the worm."

 

Microsoft has issued a special

alert<http://www.microsoft.com/security/encyclopedia/details.aspx?Name=Win32/MyW\

ife.E@mm>for

its customers, warning them to update their antivirus software. All

major antivirus software suppliers have a signature file and some, like

F-Secure, also have a specific virus removal

tool<http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/nyxem_e.shtml>

..

 

"The worm does not appear to target a security vulnerability, but rather

tries to entice users through social engineering into opening an attached

file or executable in email," said Microsoft.

 

"If the recipient opens the file or executable, the worm sends itself to all

the contacts contained in the system's address book."

 

Estimates vary as to the number of computers infected, with some suggesting

that up to half a million systems could be vulnerable.

 

But experts are urging users not to panic. "When you panic, you make

mistakes," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at

Sophos<http://www.sophos.com/>

..

 

"Sit down and work out if you have done everything you should have done to

ensure your computer isn't at risk from the Nyxem worm, and indeed any of

the other 120,000 pieces of malware in existence."

Permalink to this story <http://www.vnunet.com/2149645>

www.vnunet.com/2149645