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Virulent virus attacks PCs
Published 5:59 am PDT Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D1
It looks harmless enough – a media file containing the latest track from a new band.
Then you open it and unleash a Pandora's box of pop-ups, a spyware-laden storm that overwhelms your PC.
It's the latest virus to attack home computers, laying claim to some 1 million PCs in North America and Europe. Experts say it's the largest such outbreak in three years.
"What was surprising was the prevalence. We're approaching 1 million unique machines. This is much more malicious software" than what carried previous viruses, said Craig Schmugar, a threat researcher for software security firm McAfee.
The virus is transmitted under literally hundreds of different file names and across peer-to-peer file-sharing networks like eDonkey and Limewire. Limewire is even more vulnerable because it's easier to use and, thus, operated by less tech-savvy users, said Christopher Null, a San Francisco-based tech analyst for Yahoo.com.
When the user attempts to download the music or video file, that user is diverted to download a file named PLAY_MP3.exe. The bogus download produces no media file. Instead, system by system, the virus sends out so-called "zombies" and tells thousands of infected systems to send spam and pop-ups to overwhelm servers.
Anti-virus software that identifies files and firewalls is a good defense, Schmugar said. Also, update and scan systems regularly, and maintain a healthy skepticism about what you download.
– Darrell Smith
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