Magistr Worm Slow Spreading, But Complex And Malicious
Saw this over at SNN
Though Mcaffee classifies Magistr as a medium risk worm, it is both complex and malicious. The virus, which was detected earlier this month, contains its own email handler, replicates encrypted code and generates random email subject headings by combining fragments of text files on the host computer with built-in English and Spanish phrases, making it more difficult to identify than previous viruses. Magistr arrives in an email with up to six attachments, all but one taken directly from the worm's most recent host. The last attachment is an exe disguised as a bitmap file which installs the payload and spreads the virus if opened. After a month, the payload begins overwriting data and system files repeatedly, making them difficult to recover. It then attacks the CMOS and Flash BIOS of machines runing Win 95, 98 and ME. Once the CMOS is gone, the computer is virtually useless and will need to be repaired by the vendor. Computers that aren't incapacitated in this way are loaded with runaway icons that remain constantly out of reach. The virus is not designed to spread quickly though, and most anti-virus software has already been updated to catch the Magistr worm.
