China Alerts about Panda Virus Reemergence

According to McAfee, China has cautioned Internet users about a PC virus. It is a new variant of the old Panda Burning Incense that contaminated several million computers across the country in 2006.

Vu Nguyen, Researcher at McAfee Labs, said that the new version of virus attached a malicious element due to which the infection's detection became more difficult, as reported by PCWorld on November 27, 2009.

Nguyen explained that the malicious element was a rootkit that made the infection more complex and challenging for computer users in terms of eliminating it and even for realizing that their machines were compromised.

The first variant of Panda, which has another name 'Fujacks,' resulted in widespread destruction when people at large had low awareness of online security, as well as resulted in the earliest detentions for virus creations in the country during 2007.

Actually, the person behind the 'Panda Burning Incense' worm is Li Jun also called the "Virus King" whose creation led to turmoil all over the Chinese Internet between December 2006 and January 2007. The virus infected some 300-500,000 PCs every day, with a minimum 10 Million contaminated overall, yielding Li 3,000 to 5,000 Yuan daily with the maximum income of 10,000 Yuan on one day. For all these, Li was detained, prosecuted and then punished with a 4-year imprisonment.

Historically, when Panda first attacked computers in China during 2006, the screens showed a Panda grasping 3 incense sticks, in place of different icons, and the virus aimed at hijacking the host PCs to seize user credentials like passwords.

The security researchers are convinced that the latest Panda version wouldn't be successful in doing a lot of destruction since modern users are immensely careful as well as can perceive how important it is to maintain computer security.

The national center for virus response in China alerted of the latest Panda variant during the end week of November 2009, but it named the virus 'Worm_Piloyd.B,' and didn't connect it with Panda. It also recommended that Internet users should enhance their computers' defenses against new worms.

Related article: China’s Best Initiatives To Deal With Spam

» SPAMfighter News - 12/7/2009