Sasser Virus

IanIan
edited May 2004 in Software
Source: Sky News

VIRUS HITS COASTGUARD

A new computer virus which is spreading around the world has hit the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The Sasser virus, which first appeared in Friday, has hit Coastguard stations across the UK and many are now relying on telephones and radios to continue working.

One million computer users worldwide are said to have been affected by the worm, which infects vulnerable PCs without any action by the user like opening attachments.

The Coastguard agency said its email and electronic mapping system had been disrupted but stressed there was no impact on operational duties.

Internet users have been urged to be on high alert to the virus which can strike without warning.

It tries to infect computers when users are surfing the net by exploiting a flaw in Microsoft software.

Microsoft raised the alarm about the flaw in its Windows 2000 and Windows XP software on April 13 and urged users to download a "patch" which prevents any attack.

The Sasser worm looks for computers without the patch and will download without the user being aware.

The first the individual or company knows is when an error message appears on the screen or the computer slows down.

Anyone who has the worm should go to the Microsoft website to download a programme to "clean" their system.

Microsoft has urged users to ensure they have the latest firewall and anti-virus protection and to set their computer to automatically download any patches it issues.

Analysts believe Sasser could be potentially as damaging as the blaster worm that spread worldwide last August, infecting an estimated eight million computers and costing businesses billions of pounds.

Link: What you should know about the Sasser worm and its variants - Microsoft

Comments

  • From what I've heard on the news that the Coast Guard turned off most of their system so they wouldn't get infected begin with. Also its not a Virus its a Worm.

    Funny thing is people havn't learnd to stop useing Outlook. If you own a major company that doesn't mean you can't afford a better email client or use a opensource one.
  • Umm... I think it clearly states that it
    infects vulnerable PCs without any action by the user like opening attachments.

    Umm... I've NEVER used Outlook, and there are growing numbers of ppl who use TB/KMail/etc.

    Infact, alot of the Email viruses these days are user instigated (EG. You have to run it, as opposed to those [CS] script viruses).

    -Q
  • MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD 0.6 FOREVER!!!!


    Us router people are safe from worms :)
  • Mozilla, Yes. Thunderbird, Yes. 0.6, only until 0.7, and then only until 0.8, etc, etc.

    -Q

    PS. That cheap CrapUSA router was the best 30 US$ expenditure ever!
  • The only time I ever get viruses is by pr0n. I remember when I downloaded Hitman. After I uncompressed it, installed it and ran the crack I started to get theses files that were made for Outlook all over my harddrive. They were mostly in the My Documents. I thought my room mate just saved his email into there untill I opened one and come to find out it wasn't what I thought it was. It was some virus that tryed sending it self to other people though Outlook. Thing was I didn't have outlook installed. Can't remember the name but I was able to get rid of it by editing the registry and deleting the outlook registry and a registry in HEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/software/sex
    the I scaned the harddrive and deleted all of the outlook files that it made.
  • I use Eudora or Mozilla's built in Client.
  • I use Outlook and nothing seems to have happened yet.
  • FishNET650 wrote:
    MOZILLA THUNDERBIRD 0.6 FOREVER!!!!

    so someone besides me uses thunderbird. cool.

    ps: i like it.
  • I also use Thunderbird, but since i'm hardly home I use a webbased account for most of my email.
  • Outlook? are you fucken nuts? Use Mozilla;s client. :P
  • Oh well. Virus protection would probably be a good idea, too.
  • Kinda hard to have a Anti Virus to keep you safe when you get a Virus that just came out and the Anti Virus dosn't see it or fixes it.

    Most of the viruses I get I remove manualy because most AVs see it but they can't get rid of it most of the time because they infect system files that can't be deleted. Also this shows how much Windows File Protect is worthless because most viruses go for that DLLCASHE folder.
  • I got one that screwed my all my EXE files almost on my storage drive. Im lucky most of my stuff was RAR'd.
  • Dammit Shell! You beat me to it! Yeah they caught him.
  • I was watching the news and the German Police has a teenager in cusity for the sasser worm.
  • NAZI NAZI NAZI NAZI NAZI NAZI
  • That's what heuristics are for!

    -Q
  • Thats also what routers are for! Us router people are so safe!
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