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- 05.02.2001
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Virus worms its way into image files
The first ever virus to infect JPEG image files has been developed, according to antivirus software company McAfee Security, a division of Network Associates.
The virus has not yet been released, but experts believe it is the first to cross from program infection into data files and is a potential model for a new wave of viruses.
"This is the first virus we have seen in JPEG files and probably the first to infect any data file," said Vincent Gullotto, senior director for McAfee's Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team.
Dubbed W32/Perrun the virus was sent to McAfee as proof that such viruses could be developed and released further down the line. "It really shows the potential for viruses to use any type of data file in the future," said Gullotto.
Future versions of the virus could be modified to attack other file types, including text files and MP3s.
The initial version of W32/Perrun does nothing more than try to infect other JPEG files, but future versions could be modified to include programs that could leave PCs open to attackers.
It operates through spreading as an .exe file. The first JPEG viewed after the executable is run will have the virus code appended to it and the virus will then seek out and try to infect other JPEG files in the same directory.
In this instance, only machines that already have the executable file can be infected, but future derivatives of the virus could do away with the executable as a prerequisite for infection, according to Gullotto.
Although the initial example should be detectable using existing antivirus systems, Gullotto maintained that users should get into the habit of scanning all data files.
"Most people might exclude data files like JPEG's and MP3's because no one has yet seen a virus in these files. That may well have to change," he warned.
Klez worms its way into history
Stubborn internet worm Klez has topped the virus charts for the fourth month running and is now responsible for almost 97 per cent of user infections.
Antivirus software vendor Kaspersky Labs reported figures that consign previous troublemakers such as SirCam and BadTrans to the sidelines.
Klez was last week crowned the biggest virus of all time, ahead of SirCam, Melissa and I Love You, according to antivirus hosting company MessageLabs.
It found around 20,000 instances of Klez being recorded each day, affecting one in every 300 emails.
The worm deletes files on local and network drives and overwrites files with random data, making them impossible to restore.
The reasons for Klez's success have been put down to an ability to cover its tracks by using a random name from an infected machine's address book as the sender address, as well as using a large selection of subject lines.
boom
The first ever virus to infect JPEG image files has been developed, according to antivirus software company McAfee Security, a division of Network Associates.
The virus has not yet been released, but experts believe it is the first to cross from program infection into data files and is a potential model for a new wave of viruses.
"This is the first virus we have seen in JPEG files and probably the first to infect any data file," said Vincent Gullotto, senior director for McAfee's Anti-Virus Emergency Response Team.
Dubbed W32/Perrun the virus was sent to McAfee as proof that such viruses could be developed and released further down the line. "It really shows the potential for viruses to use any type of data file in the future," said Gullotto.
Future versions of the virus could be modified to attack other file types, including text files and MP3s.
The initial version of W32/Perrun does nothing more than try to infect other JPEG files, but future versions could be modified to include programs that could leave PCs open to attackers.
It operates through spreading as an .exe file. The first JPEG viewed after the executable is run will have the virus code appended to it and the virus will then seek out and try to infect other JPEG files in the same directory.
In this instance, only machines that already have the executable file can be infected, but future derivatives of the virus could do away with the executable as a prerequisite for infection, according to Gullotto.
Although the initial example should be detectable using existing antivirus systems, Gullotto maintained that users should get into the habit of scanning all data files.
"Most people might exclude data files like JPEG's and MP3's because no one has yet seen a virus in these files. That may well have to change," he warned.
Klez worms its way into history
Stubborn internet worm Klez has topped the virus charts for the fourth month running and is now responsible for almost 97 per cent of user infections.
Antivirus software vendor Kaspersky Labs reported figures that consign previous troublemakers such as SirCam and BadTrans to the sidelines.
Klez was last week crowned the biggest virus of all time, ahead of SirCam, Melissa and I Love You, according to antivirus hosting company MessageLabs.
It found around 20,000 instances of Klez being recorded each day, affecting one in every 300 emails.
The worm deletes files on local and network drives and overwrites files with random data, making them impossible to restore.
The reasons for Klez's success have been put down to an ability to cover its tracks by using a random name from an infected machine's address book as the sender address, as well as using a large selection of subject lines.
boom
