{Non-Jyotish}NEWS: Nyxem worm poised to wreak havoc

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Nyxem worm poised to wreak havoc

 

Friday is D-Day, but worm may turn sooner

 

Iain Thomson, vnunet.com 02 Feb 2006

Alerts have been issued by

Microsoft and others

over the

Nyxem.E

worm, also called 'Blackworm', 'Mywife', 'Karma Sutra' or 'Blackmal', that is

due to start destroying computer files on Friday 3 February.

Nyxem.E is one of the most destructive worms in recent memory and could erase

all Word, PowerPoint and Excel files on affected computers when it activates

tomorrow.

But some users are already losing data because of faulty time settings on

their computers.

" The Nyxem.E deadline is based on the clock of the infected machine. If

you're infected and your clock is not set right, things could start to happen at

any time even though the official activation is the third of the month, "

explained Mikko Hyppönen, chief research officer at

F-Secure.

" We have already received reports from users who have had files on their

system overwritten by the worm. "

Microsoft has issued a

special

alert for its customers, warning them to update their antivirus software.

All major antivirus software suppliers have a signature file and some, like

F-Secure, also have a specific

virus

removal tool.

" The worm does not appear to target a security vulnerability, but rather

tries to entice users through social engineering into opening an attached file

or executable in email, " said Microsoft.

" If the recipient opens the file or executable, the worm sends itself to all

the contacts contained in the system's address book. "

Estimates vary as to the number of computers infected, with some suggesting

that up to half a million systems could be vulnerable.

But experts are urging users not to panic. " When you panic, you make

mistakes, " said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at

Sophos.

" Sit down and work out if you have done everything you should have done to

ensure your computer isn't at risk from the Nyxem worm, and indeed any of the

other 120,000 pieces of malware in existence. "

 

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