Anybody been affected by this Wormblaster virus?

Alexander's Horse · August 16, 2003, 22:40

I Su*pOse y7ou Might b$ se...........ding me%sagEs Li)ke ThIs ^f Y*u hAv#.

I seem to be okay though - I did check out the Microsoft web site last night though when my browser started acting funny for a brief period.

mrmitchell · August 16, 2003, 23:32

Yes. I've helped 3 or 4 people that I personally know get it off.

(I wasn't affected, though. Vigilant failure to upgrade me OS is always a good policy.

)

DanS · August 17, 2003, 03:13

My mom was screwed. I was the tech savior though.

Dis · August 17, 2003, 03:15

I only use DOS, so I wasn't affected

Asmodean · August 17, 2003, 03:17

I helped this dude clean his comp just yesterday. He sure as hell got it. As it turned out, he had his system set to automatically update Windows, but every time ihe was asked to install these updates, he had just clicked "Cancel"

Asmodean

DanS · August 17, 2003, 03:17

That's so.... 1992.

Asmodean · August 17, 2003, 03:28

Quote:

Originally posted by DanS
That's so.... 1992.

Nah...he's just plain dumb

Asmodean

MrFun · August 17, 2003, 03:50

No -- I had the assumption that this computer virus would only target computers owned by Aussies and Finns, anyway.

The Mad Monk · August 17, 2003, 03:57

Quote:

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Yes. I've helped 3 or 4 people that I personally know get it off.

He was asking about computers, not your conquests.

Makeo · August 17, 2003, 05:16

I got it. Was randomly shutting down my computer. until i fixed it.

reds4ever · August 17, 2003, 05:30

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk

He was asking about computers, not your conquests.

DRoseDARs · August 17, 2003, 07:18

I was planning on leaving that little Freudian slip alone.

Victor Galis · August 17, 2003, 09:22

I randomly happened to update windows the day they released the patch against this, so no.

Verto · August 17, 2003, 10:15

I download updates as soon as they come out, so no problem here. The rest of you scum who never update, deserved it!

Bereta_Eder · August 17, 2003, 10:17

I think it can't hurt Win98, so I'm safe.

Alexander's Horse · August 18, 2003, 01:41

I have a good firewall but I'm having this interesting problem where my browser tries to reconnect when I shut down the internet. A couple of times its frozen and I've had to reboot. Not sure if its the worm or an icq glitch. The problem usually happens when I've shut down icq during a session.

Solver · August 18, 2003, 16:20

GRR!

I helped a few people get rid of it, but it's all so BORING! Those idiots can't write virii anymore. The author didn't even know the proper address for Windows Update site. Just look at how harmless the virus is:

1. Its process shows in Task Manager, which is easily avoidable.
2. It pretty much restarts comp at random intervals, not continously.
3. It does not damage any data directly.

All the fuss about it, geez! Slammer was the last half-decent virus attack, but that's 8 months old, and still wasn't good.

Here's what a virus would have to be like.

Two-way spreading, that is, uses email. and a vulnerability like Blaster did.
On NT based system, uses another Windows hole to register itself as a service with LocalSystem privileges.
Modifies the exefile class in registry to prevent execution of applications.
Deletes anything in startup section to prevent security programs.
After restarting the computer (or after spreading via email), start damaging data.

Now that would be something...

badams52 · August 18, 2003, 16:44

Solver, let's not give anyone any ideas eh

Nubclear · August 18, 2003, 16:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Solver
Those idiots can't write virii anymore.

Viruses.

Virii isn't a word.

Solver · August 18, 2003, 17:07

Quote:

Solver, let's not give anyone any ideas eh

Any programmer could easily implement those anyway

.

Verto · August 18, 2003, 17:26

I don't see why this has been made into such a huge deal. All I should hear about this from the news, is how ignorant PC users failed to update their computers, and have only themselves to blame.

SpencerH · August 18, 2003, 18:07

It caused a lot of problems in my department. 4 or 5 crashed completely (i.e went into a never ending shutdown-startup-loop). My work PC, which runs on NT, wasnt directly effected but today the IT guys were out scouring every PC for worms etc and installing all updates. Pain in the ass bullshit (I dont have full admin rights).

Alexander's Horse · August 18, 2003, 19:47

What's the attraction of creating worms and virus? Such a nasty thing to do.

Verto · August 18, 2003, 19:50

Personal gratification, or to prove to yourself that you can do it. Or a lack of social life.

Bereta_Eder · August 18, 2003, 19:55

There IS some sort of fascination with this...

I have, erm, visiting some crack sites lately basically for a couple of crack keys and there you have it all... Trojans, worms, the works. It's very easy to find them.

And I was just sitting there wondering for a minute... what if... but then I thought, nah, **** it

Obviously some people don't say "nah..."

Dis · August 18, 2003, 20:00

do worms go away?

Say like if I installed Windows XP in a few weeks- will the problem still be out there?

Who was it that said that they didn't even have time to download the update after installing Windows XP before their computer shut down.

Poogas · August 18, 2003, 20:55

I had that damn virus. It was hell trying to get rid of it. But I got the job done.

blackice · August 18, 2003, 20:57

viro- or vir-
pref.
Virus: virogenesis.

[From virus.]

ii

adj : being one more than one; "he received two messages"

Virii, it will be added to a dictionary as a word soon enough. :0)

Quote:

What's the attraction of creating worms and virus? Such a nasty thing to do.

In this case from what I gather it was because Microsoft dismissed this hole as a minor threat.
Same goes for the next one...comming soon to a computer near you. Four major flaws and four times Microsoft has dismissed them. All of these since July 8th of this year.

I don't know about the rest of you but Trend Microsystems has put out two updates per day for the last week. They take them seriously and update thier anti virus ahead of time.

Quote:

Say like if I installed Windows XP in a few weeks- will the problem still be out there?

Yes it will be all of them will be....

eh.

SpencerH · August 20, 2003, 09:34

Except that the patch was out a month before the worm.

Asher · August 20, 2003, 10:10

Quote:

Originally posted by blackice
In this case from what I gather it was because Microsoft dismissed this hole as a minor threat.

How the hell do you figure?
When MS released a patch for it a month ago, it was clearly labeled CRITICAL, not a "minor threat".

And the virus writers are extraordinarily poor these days, it'd be easy to write ones that spread faster and do more damage. The problem is, the kind of kids who write viruses aren't good at what they do, hence writing viruses...