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Zotob Worm Hits CNN and Goes Global

securitas writes "The Zotob MS05-039 worm mentioned on Slashdot last Sunday may be the most recent virus that has gone global, hitting Windows 2000 desktops at CNN, ABC, the New York Times, and many others. The virus is spreading around the world rapidly as compromised systems become bots and propagate the worm, with reported outbreaks in Germany and China. InformationWeek has a decent article titled Zotob Proves Patching "Window" Non-Existent. Microsoft calls it a "low impact" threat and tells you What you should know about Zotob. Symantec has W32.Zotob.D removal instructions. Trend Micro thinks that this is a new, different worm altogether and says it is one of the fastest-spreading infections in history."

14 of 522 comments (clear)

  1. Is your computer infected? by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    • If computer is Apple, No
    • If OS is Linux, No
    • If OS is Windows variant, Could be
    • If OS is Windows 2000, Could be
    • If Search finds Botzor.exe in your filesystem, Definitely
      • What do I do?
      • Ignore it, like millions of others.
    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Is your computer infected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
      If OS is Windows variant, Could be

      According to TFA's apparently not.

      This just in: Windows 2000 is a variant of Windows. Pictures at 11.

  2. Instant karma's gonna get you by Kafka_Canada · · Score: 5, Funny

    hitting Windows 2000 desktops at CNN, ABC, the New York Times, and many others.

    Hm, must be a Karl Rove plant.

    Or else it's just another victory in the GWOT?

    --
    Fuck it
  3. Payload by Teclis · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Gives a remote attacker full control over the compromised computer to perform various actions, including:

    Downloading and executing files
    Making queries to www.google.com ..."

    Making queries to google? Sounds like a very round-about way to search google. What is the purpose of this?

    --
    Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what's right. --Isaac Asimov
    1. Re:Payload by Dr.+Zowie · · Score: 4, Funny

      Jeez, the lengths some people will go to, to avoid the google cookie...

  4. Re:I wonder... by TykeClone · · Score: 5, Funny
    --
    A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
  5. Re:AOL Call Centers by Anonymous+Crowhead · · Score: 5, Funny

    I work in an AOL call center and we run Windows 2000. We are taking almost no calls and almost all of our computers are down.

    I'm glad you found one of the few that is working so you could post to Slashdot.

  6. CNN, ABC, the New York Times by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 4, Funny

    So it has hit CNN, ABC, the New York Times. Obviously this worm is part of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy!

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  7. Re:MS says.. by DrEldarion · · Score: 5, Funny

    so Microsoft will just go "You should of updated". ... and then the grammar nazis will descend upon them like hawks.

  8. Re:All of a sudden by qyiet · · Score: 5, Funny

    It could have done us all a favor, and infected Fox's network.

  9. Notebooks and viruses at my work by acomj · · Score: 4, Funny

    Where I work, we have classes. And the instructor takes his notebook out and hooks into the network, pulls his powerpoint. During the class a window pops up... Oh, he says, its just a virus, it pops up from time to time, and procedes to reboot and keep going.

    After class the computer goes back in the bag for a month, as he has a desktop in his office. The virus hibernates....

    Our IT folks must love this..

  10. LATE BREAKING NEWS on CNN Right Now by mexicangeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    "CNN's network admins suck."

  11. Re:MS says.. by GeoffP · · Score: 4, Funny

    "grammar nazis"

    Heil Webster!

  12. Really good advice by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    From Microsoft's info page:

    Customers who believe they have been attacked should contact their local FBI office or post their complaint on the Internet Fraud Complaint Center Web site.

    Ummm...

    "Hello, FBI? Yeah, hi. This is Pat. Listen, I've noticed my computer has been running a little slow lately. Yeah, more so then usual... Well, I heard about this new worm virus on the news... Yeah, I know I should run a virus scanner... Yes, I'm aware that the FBI does not troubleshoot and provide support for PCs... No, I don't expect you to launch a huge investigation because I suspect I *might* have been infected... Of course I'm aware that even if I was infected, there's really nothing the FBI can do about my particular case. . . . What do you mean 'Why am I calling you'?? Microsoft said I should!!"

    --
    The Internet is generally stupid