Mystery computer virus Conficker threatens to wreak havoc
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6005567.ece
— See also information on protection:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx
http://www.symantec.com/norton/theme.jsp?themeid=conficker_worm&inid=us_ghp_link_conficker_worm
http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2009/03/27/w32conficker-much-ado-about-nothing/?cid=54857
http://download.nai.com/products/mcafee-avert/documents/combating_w32_conficker_worm.pdf
— if you are using Microsoft Vista and have auto updates - you should have October 23-25, 2008 timeframe update Security Update for Windows Vista (KB958644)
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS08-067.mspx
— McAfee offers special utility scan and protection application to be downloaded at:
http://vil.nai.com/vil/conficker_stinger/Stinger_Coficker.exe
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US-CERT is aware of public reports indicating a widespread infection of the Conficker/Downadup worm, which can infect a Microsoft Windows system from a thumb drive, a network share, or directly across a corporate network, if the network servers are not patched with the
MS08-067 patch from Microsoft.
Home users can apply a simple test for the presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection on their home computers. The presence of a Conficker/Downadup infection may be detected if a user is unable to surf to their security solution website or if they are unable to connect to the websites, by downloading detection/removal tools available free from those sites:
http://www.symantec.com/norton/theme.jsp?themeid=conficker_worm&inid=us_ghp_link_conficker_worm
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx
If a user is unable to reach any of these websites, it may indicate a Conficker/Downadup infection. The most recent variant of Conficker/Downadup interferes with queries for these sites, preventing a user from visiting them. If a Conficker/Downadup infection is suspected, the system or computer should be removed from the network or unplugged from the Internet - in the case for home users.
Instructions, support and more information on how to manually remove a Conficker/Downadup infection from a system have been published by major security vendors.