A Computer virus that may leave Microsoft Windows users vulnerable to digital hijacking is spreading through companies in the US, Europe and Asia, already infecting close to 9 million machines, according to a private online security firm.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, however, it may be a dud. <\/p>\n
Though computer bugs have become a common affliction, Finland-based F-Secure says a virus it has been tracking for the past several weeks has surged more rapidly through corporate networks than anything they have seen in years.<\/p>\n
But the virus does not appear to be working as its designers intended. F-Secure’s chief security adviser, Patrik Runald, said the virus’s coding suggests a type of bug that alerts computer users to bogus infections on their machines and offers to help by selling them antivirus software.<\/p>\n
Instead, the virus is simply spreading to little effect, though it may still pose a threat to infected computers.<\/p>\n
"The gang behind this worm haven’t used it yet," F-Secure’s chief research officer, Nikko Hypponen said by phone. <\/p>\n
"But they could do anything they like with any of these machines at any time."<\/p>\n
Microsoft issued a security update Tuesday to deal with the so-called "Downadup" or "Conficker" virus, which appears to be a new version of a bug that popped up in October.<\/p>\n
"Over the last couple of weeks, a new variant of this worm has been affecting customers," the company acknowledged in a blog post. <\/p>\n
"Microsoft said the virus is spreading by gaining access to one computer and then guessing at passwords of other users in the same network:<\/p>\n
"If the password is weak, it may succeed."<\/p>\n
Most computers with Windows will automatically download Microsoft’s security update, but Hypponen said the virus disables updates on infected machines.<\/p>\n
While the origin of the virus is a mystery, F-Secure’s best guess is it came from Ukraine. <\/p>\n
Hypponen said it is coded to avoid computers there, which may indicate whoever wrote the virus was trying to avoid drawing attention from local authorities.<\/p>\n
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