New Conficker Variant Prepared for Large-scale Computer Attack

Researchers at ESET, an Internet security company, have warned that a new version of Win32/Conficker.X, a dangerous virus, also dubbed as Conficker.C or Conficker.D is fast propagating via the Internet.

The company states that various versions of this malware have managed to shutdown thousands of computers worldwide. Moreover, computer security specialists view that the threat from Conficker is even greater than the threats from viruses that emerged before it.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that a command is embedded in Conficker that prompts the malicious program to begin interactions with numerous domains generated randomly from a computed daily aggregate of 50,000 to find out if there are any instructions to take.

Although the virus' wide destructive impact on the entire Internet didn't take shape on April 1, 2009, it is apprehended that the creators of Conficker would typically begin utilizing the botnet for distributing spam or other malicious software on a large scale.

Juraj Malcho, Head of ESET Virus Laboratory, says that it can hardly be thought that the creators of the virus would not exploit such a highly developed botnet, as reported by AME Info on April 4, 2009.

Besides, ESET further states that the worm's greatest danger is in its perfect condition for launching an extensive attack on any computer network and to carry out a large degree of information theft. Reportedly, the worm has been designed to propagate itself via the exploitation of security flaws within Windows OS. Apart from this, it is also programmed to spread by exchangeable media.

Additionally, Conficker is so constructed that it can be controlled remotely, once computers infected with it are added to its massive botnet.

However, one can remain protected if, according to the security specialists, the computer user deploys the suitable patches on his operating system as well as puts security solutions in place. Further, if there is a hard-to-crack password for the system such as one set with both upper and lower case alphabets together with numerical digits, then it too can enhance the computer's safety as well as protect the user from malware attacks like one from Conficker.

Related article: New Zealand Releases Code To Reduce Spam

» SPAMfighter News - 4/8/2009