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Updated:05:55 AM EDT Mar 28


this is ggmania.com subsite Conficker Worm's Next Act Concerns Experts - TechAmok

Conficker Worm's Next Act Concerns Experts - [security]
01:12 PM EST - Jan,24 2009 - post a comment

The worm that's infected millions of Windows PCs is a "very well-engineered" piece of malware, according to one security expert. But researchers still have no clear idea what the hackers plan to do with the collection of computers they've compromised with "Downadup." Downadup, also called "Conficker," has infected an estimated 6% of PCs worldwide . The worm spreads by exploiting a four-month-old vulnerability in Windows, by brute-force password attacks and by hitchhiking on USB devices like flash drives.
Although some researchers now say that Downadup seems to have peaked -- F-Secure Corp. Friday noted that its "growth...has been curbed" -- researchers remained worried about the next step in the attack. Most malware infects PCs so that hackers can then use the collected machines, dubbed a "botnet," to send spam, attack Web sites or compromise more computers. To do that, the original attack code directs the now-controlled PC, a "bot" in security parlance, to download additional software.

But Downadup has yet to trigger such second-stage downloads. "Why is it taking so long?" asked Huger. "That's what we're all asking." He couldn't recall an attack of this size with such a long lag time between the initial attacks and follow-on downloads of more malware to the hijacked systems. The people behind Downadup will eventually follow through, Huger's convinced. "They've obviously put a lot of thought into the worm. They've been very methodical," he said. But he also pointed out that the clock is ticking. "If they don't hurry up and do it, someone else will," he said, explaining that hackers must fend off not only security researchers, but also other criminals, who would like nothing better than to pinch a ready-to-use botnet. "They're trying to keep the other bad guys at bay, too," Huger said. "So I would guess that they would act soon."


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