Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Holes in the machine
news.bbc. ^ | Monday, 16 March 2009

Posted on 03/16/2009 10:25:20 AM PDT by JoeProBono

The Conficker worm will be active again on 1 April, according to an analysis of its most recent variant, Conficker.C, by the net security firm CA. This malicious piece of software, also known as Downup, Downadup and Kido, spreads among computers running most variants of the Windows operating system and turns them into nodes on a multi-million member "botnet" of zombie computers that can be controlled remotely by the worm's as yet unidentified authors. Since it first appeared in October 2008 it has apparently infected more than 15 million computers around the internet, though even that number is no more than an educated guess because the worm works very hard to disguise its presence on a PC. The worm turns Conficker spreads through a security vulnerability in the Windows Server Service that allows a carefully written program to persuade the attacked computer to run malicious code instead of the Microsoft-written software. Once installed it turns off Windows Automatic Update and stops you using the Windows Security Centre. It disables a range of internal services that could be used by anti-malware programs, blocks access to a number of anti-virus websites and even resets and deletes system restore points so you can't go back to an uninfected installation of your operating system.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: conficker; malware; virus; worm
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-24 last
To: TChris
What's the trick? I haven't had to clean any users of this one yet, but I'm sure the day is coming.

Step 1: Never let casual users run under an Admin account.

Step 2: If you use an Admin account (as I do), use a password, and make sure the real Admin account has a password, too.

Step 3: Yeah, an AV helps, but I use AVG 8.5 Free, and some will still get through. I find SpyBot's TeaTimer helps alot.

Step 4: Do your own registry backups.

21 posted on 03/16/2009 4:32:40 PM PDT by jeffc (They're coming to take me away! Ha-ha, hey-hey, ho-ho!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Frank Herbert's Dune, but the sandworms in that one ranged UP from a couple hundred feet in length, IIRC.
22 posted on 03/16/2009 5:24:08 PM PDT by Still Thinking (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Still Thinking

Thanks.


23 posted on 03/16/2009 9:16:49 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (What happened to my IRAs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: ichabod1
We are completely dependent on Windows Update.

I'm not dependent on it at all. In fact, I don't use it.

24 posted on 03/17/2009 5:11:29 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-24 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson