So I don’t lose touch with all of you, please take a moment and do a handraulic update of your protection software right away. A nasty bug is about to surface in big numbers, if the media is right.
-Crandell
Good idea, thanks for the reminder.
Jim
Midnight tonight. Just before I go to bed,my computer is going off. I will watch Fox news to get the latest way before I turn on my computer.
You mean this one? http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/01/31/kamasutraworm/index.html also http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4673576.stm
We don’t have to worry, us model railroaders are way to busy to visit the … ah…sites… that make you fall victom to this one. I hope! Makes me glad that I use the Mac…
Turning it off won’t help you. Midnight is when the worm activates … although I haven’t seen any warnings that say WHICH midnight (i.e. is it local time, PST, etc.). If your machine is infected, the worm will activate at midnight or the next time you turn it on.
I called my Brother and he told me not to worry,so I won’t. The only way the virus can damage the computer is if you open the file attachment from the e-mail that has the virus. So don’t open anything that you do not know who it came from. Delete it ASAP! Allan.
Actually, it can come from anyone who opened the file. Friends, relatives, your boss…[:-^]
Matt
Yet another virus that everyone says I’m going to get but never seem to. Hmmmm…
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/global/vinfodb.html
Click on the 30th one down(It has the most names)
Matt
I am happy to hear that you are always well protected. My reminder was a courtesy to those who may have forgotten to ensure that their DAT files are up to date.
-Crandell
Selector, I think your reminder is a good one. If this virus does materialize as has been predicted it will do a great deal of damage to Windows PCs that are infected. It supposedly will write over a great number of files (particularly Office files). Anyone who opened any attachment listed in the many warnings or has multible users, would do well to protect their computer now. There was a similar scam on the Mac side not long ago where an e-mail sent you to a site for some “free” software and when the victim downloaded the file, it was an AplleScript file that ran and wiped the entire hard drive. The only way to stay safe from these things is to be constantly alert, and to back up all important information and files on a regular basis. I check often, just to see what is going on out there and keep up to date. My ISP filters out all known virises, worms, and Trojen Horses and since there is nothing out there for OSX on the Mac, I do breathe a bit easier.
Thanks four you affirmation, Ray. What I neglected to do, I have just realized, was to remind everyone to actually do a system scan AFTER they do the update.
-Crandell
http://www.lurhq.com/blackworm.html
also:
http://isc.sans.org/ (Aka the Internet Storm Center)
also:
F-Secure:
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/archive-012006.html#00000797
Error Message generated if you tried to open a infected file: (It would be overwritten with this data and your file is GONE.)
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/nyxem_killed.gif
Symantec Security Response:
Download the removal tool here: Symantec W32.Blackmal.E Removal Tool
Link: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/enterprise/tools.list.html
Specific tool designed for this worm in question: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.blackmal@mm.removal.tool.html
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/FixBmalE.exe
You can click on this file and download to computer and just run it.
A qoute "…The following file types will be overwritten by the virus: .DOC, .XLS, .MDE, .MDB, .PPT, .PPS, .RAR, .PDF, .PSD, .DMP, .ZIP The files are overwritten with an error message( ‘DATA Error [47 0F 94 93 F4 K5]’).
We will try to post more detailed cleanup instructions later. However, it is likely that you will have to rebuild the system from scratch. Obtaining good backups is critical as a first step.
… End Qoute"
I have already obtained the latest definations and started to back up word documents, Powerpoints etc onto CD Rom.
We have a little less than a week to get ready for this o Day (Feburary 3rd)
Prepare for battle, get your systems ready.
If you do not, you may find that a total rebuild of your infected computers necessary.
NOTE** A copy and paste of: .DOC, .XLS, .MDE, .MDB, .PPT, .PPS, .RAR, .PDF, .PSD, .DMP, .ZIP
into the computer’s search function under windows
I suggest manually going thru the files
Fortunately, I haven’t clicked an email link in years… Anything with a link usually goes right to the junk folder and then off into oblivion. Still a good idea to make sure protections are up to date though…
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFrailfan
Better yet, if you can check your emails online before downloading them, blast the suspect emails before they ever reach your machine… Nothing is 100% foolproof but non vigilance is 000% foolproof.
If you update your virus protection signature files on a weekly basis, and actually perform a virus sweep as well, you’ll never have to worry about these periodic emergency notices from the media. Most, if not all of these problems, are noticed by the professionals way before they ever get to you. For instance, Symantec has had this signature in their anti-virus software since mid-January. Plenty of time to detect it, if you’ve inadvertantly downloaded it, provided you actually do an anti-virus scan at regular intervals. If there’s a quickly spreading virus outbreak, which by the way, this one isn’t, a signature will often be available from the software professionals within hours of such an outbreak. There’s a difference between CNN or NBC noticing a problem, and the problem itself.
That’s what you bought the anti-virus and anti-spyware software for. It works very well.
-Ed
i’m curious about where you heard about this . as a mac tech support person i need to know if my clients have anything to worry about from this . i must say my job is much easier due to the lack of virii , trojans , etc. for the mac
what is the bug and whats it soposed to do?
This was a thread at the Mac support site I think about a year ago (it was definitely pre Tiger). I believe that Apple plugged the hole very quickly so that an Apple Script can’t start automatically. They had a sticky at that time stating how they solved the problem and the change came in one of the security updates. It came from a German site, I believe, and the person responsible is now serving time for it (this is all from memory remember). It is not something that is currently an issue. Even with the Mac, It pays to be prepared!
I just got the latest update. Also, Grisoft AVG has an email scanner that will scan emails. (www.grisoft.com)