NEWS: Windows 2000 Worm

A worm is shutting down computers with the Windows 2000 operating system. It started around 5PM this afternoon and has affected computers at CNN, Catapiller, ABC and the New York Times. The worm shuts down and reboots the computer multiple times. Microsoft has a patch for this worm.



I have to wonder if this might be a ploy by Microsoft to get people to upgrade their operating systems. I recall that there were security issues with Windows 95 when Windows 2000 was released and Microsoft's recommendation was for people to update to Windows 2000

[edit on 16-8-2005 by asala]

[edit on 17-8-2005 by John bull 1]

[edit on 17-8-2005 by John bull 1]

I voted yes for the story soley due to the press that this is getting. According to all the various AV vendors, this is a low risk worm for both home as well as enterprises.
The major problem is some of the files that are being deleted are actually ones that many people want to be deleted as they are spyware. Namely WebTools.
If a person gets hit by this, they can reboot into safe mode, then update their os, download and install the updated definition files from thier av vendor. then run a scan of thier system.
As for the issue with Win9x and ME, sorry, but those OS's have been out of support for many years and they had some many holes that in order to patch them, it would be better to just upgrade the os. I do not have too much sympathy for them. Sorry

CNN's broadcast services are falling victim. As are ABC's.

Lou Dobbs is now reporting on his show that the virus may have affected some computers on Captol Hill.

The worm may affect some windows xp systems that have not been upgraded to service pak 2 according to Lou Dobbs and others on the show.

This is getting tons of coverage on CNN.

OKay... kind of going to eat crow on this.
They CNN is going on about a very low risk worm that they got hit with. There is a real danger though but it is not the one that they are hollering about.
here is some info on the worm:
W32/IRCbot.worm!MS05-039

WORM_RBOT.CBQ

I highly suggest that people go out to vil.nai.com...

in a couple of hours and download run the program stinger that they offer for free.

I'm glad I own a Mac and have nothing by Microsoft on it.

Hmm.... is it me or does CNN not have firewalls in place to prevent this sort of thing. I have never had any of these worms effect my computer and I have a basic firewall installed. If CNN was effected then basically any hacker could go in and shut them down.

On the other hand if this worm effected their web site, that is a different story as anyone can connect to that IP anyway.


edit : Mr. Myers, a virus researcher for the computer security firm McAfee, Inc., said the worm exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft's plug-and-play service. "How it's spreading is it's looking for machines that are unpatched and running itself," she said.



[edit on 8-16-2005 by CPYKOmega]

Honestly, I always find it quite disappointing when major corporations get hit by things like this.

No one is infallible but really... shouldn't companies that big have very well-paid people making sure this doesn't happen?

Originally posted by grover
I'm glad I own a Mac and have nothing by Microsoft on it.

Who would virus a Mac? thats like stealing flat tires or breaking into a homeless mans cardboard box, you can't do any more damage then what was already done. Reason Microsoft/windows/good computers are targets is the same reason a Mercedes, a Mansion, or a platinum watch is targeted, there is an actual value to it.

Originally posted by JIMC5499
I have to wonder if this might be a ploy by Microsoft to get people to upgrade their operating systems. I recall that there were security issues with Windows 95 when Windows 2000 was released and Microsoft's recommendation was for people to update to Windows 2000
[edit on 16-8-2005 by asala]

Everyone else may think you're crazy, but I'm wondering the same here too. Might help explain the Massive Media coverage as well for such a low level virus. That way even those who don't directly get it themselves will still fear it enough to go ahead and fork out the $$ for XP SP2. Good timing for the new release of IE7 also, which is only supported on XP SP2 as well. Perhaps MS needed some extra capital with the stock market nose diving so much lately.

Yeah i work for a multi national company and we've been hit. Its nothing too bad they just shut down alot of our operating software to stop the virus spreading. We have some serious security on our computers and we were still hit (yet my home PC has very little security and seems fine)... luckily for me though i can still get online and what not my Thin Client seems to be working A-Ok

OMG!!! I was watching CNN and at the bottom the ticker said "Problem Solved" 10 seconds later it goes blank, then plays commercials for about 10 minutes before it pops back up to CNN with "Sorry Folks" on the ticker.

Originally posted by James the Lesser
Who would virus a Mac? thats like stealing flat tires or breaking into a homeless mans cardboard box, you can't do any more damage then what was already done. Reason Microsoft/windows/good computers are targets is the same reason a Mercedes, a Mansion, or a platinum watch is targeted, there is an actual value to it.

Yeah, sure, Windows rules, linux/mac sucks...
I haven't had virus or spyware trouble for about a year now, when I switched from XP to Ubuntu Linux. It costs absolutely nothing and it's far more stable and faster. I can do everything with Ubuntu that I used to do with XP.

But if you can to use Micro$oft, than please do, You must really like all those aggressive, RAM eating, firewalls, virusscanners and anti-spyware programs 'protecting' your computer...

We have ME. It's like being in purgatory.
I'm not a computer savy person but even
I know that it stinks.

Originally posted by Zion Mainframe

Originally posted by James the Lesser
Yeah, sure, Windows rules, linux/mac sucks...

But if you can to use Micro$oft, than please do, You must really like all those aggressive, RAM eating, firewalls, virusscanners and anti-spyware programs 'protecting' your computer...

I think that in his own inestimable fashion what he was trying to say is that as of now apple stuff/linux is still not the business standard. Macs and unix based software are fun and cool, and really adaptable, and extremely useful, and all that. Unfortunately, due to the inability of the owners/promoters, Apple stuff has not been seen to be useful in the business world, generally. At least not enough so to be able to upend Microsoft.

It's good to have a superior product. It is bad to not have any marketing skills in the arenas that count. Obviously Apple didn't.

Originally posted by Nerdling
CNN's broadcast services are falling victim. As are ABC's.

Nerdling you make it sound like this is a bad thing?

Zion, I remember when games had a PC Requirements and a Mac Requirements. Guess WHat? They don't have those anymore, they have PC Requirements and AMD/Atholon Requirements.

How is a Mac better? You can't play better games, you can play music/videos on both, I have Itunes on my pc, as I said, anything a Mac can do a PC can do better and then some. You have fun playing solitaire or uh, I don't know, Pong might be to taxing on a Mac, while I play Doom 3 and Far Cry and Warhammer DOW and Half Life 2.

Also, again, why hack a Mac? Those things crash because you turned it on. Those things crash because you told it to save something. Hell if you hacked one it would probably run better.

Mac's crash less than P.C's do.

I own both, Mac for website and image design (I did two years of graphic design) and my P.C. for internet gaming and chatting.

Both are online 24/7, the MAc for music and yet the P.C. gets ten-fold the viruses and problems.

It has allready been touched on, but do the same people who protect us with virus software also make the viruses? That doesn't mean this is the case. Just a question?

And are these virus threats a covert way of locking down the internet, and exerting control? Similar to the possible fear tactics involved with the "terrorist" attacks of late. Think about how the internet will become if it gets further and further locked down. Allready if you run an internet business you have to watch your wording so your e-mail doesn't get snagged by spam filters.

Are these "protective" measures actually steel bars coming down on our freedom?

What do you guys think?

Troy

Originally posted by Odium
Mac's crash less than P.C's do.

I own both, Mac for website and image design (I did two years of graphic design) and my P.C. for internet gaming and chatting.

Both are online 24/7, the MAc for music and yet the P.C. gets ten-fold the viruses and problems.

We used Mac's in my graphic communications class and they never crashed once in my four years there. The server went down a couple times, but that's it. Mac's are the way to go if you're looking to do some web design and using programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.