NEWS A new version of the Internet worm MyDoom includes a photo of Netsky worm writer Sven Jaschan and a description of the worm itself.
In the latest bizarre twist in the worm's development, authors included a detailed account of what MyDoom.Y does and how it works. This particular tactic has left antivirus vendors baffled.
"It's like they wanted to help us, which is weird," said Mikko Hypponen, director of antivirus research for F-Secure. "The photo could be making the point that MyDoom has won the virus war. But then again, Netsky was much more widespread than MyDoom."
The description of the virus included two signatures, Nemog and Zincite, which Hyponnen said he had seen before in backdoor code. "We don't know whether they have been planted or not," he said.
Jaschan, who was charged earlier this year by German police for creating several variants of the Netsky virus, is believed to be responsible for 70 per cent of the virus infections that plagued internet users in 2004.
Dan Ilett writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
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1. anonymous
Where is the photo? And what was the description inside MyDoom?
2. John Foster
I cannot help but think that while the media continue to publish virus league tables, authors will compete to create the most damaging virus. Virus writers are sad, inadequate people seeking attention. If they get no feedback from their actions perhaps they will go away ...
3. trevorj
Reply to the earlier John Foster -
Do you honestly believe that? Are you telling me that virus creators are sad people with pathetic lives and they continuously compete for the most destructive virus??? You have to realize this is not true in 90% of the cases. If it were, why wouldn't they just make the virus kill the hard drive? Or re-flash the bios? Think of real damage. Not these fake damages that go on today. It's the own person/company 's fault for using faulty software to begin with.
<3 Linux.
Just my 2 cents.
4. John Foster
Trevor,
I guess I worded that badly. You are right - it would be easy enough to trash the hard drive etc. (There have been flash viruses btw). What I was trying to figure out was what would motivate someone to write a virus. Surely not just to see if they could crash Windows - that's too easy!