OH TITFUCK

[cheezdue]

Not so sure if this is the right place to post, but anyways, we might get hit hard this April Fool's.

source (http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/128643/beware-conficker-worm-come-april-1/)

In an event that hits the computer world only once every few years, security experts are racing against time to mitigate the impact of a bit of malware which is set to wreak havoc on a hard-coded date. As is often the case, that date is April 1 (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/24/conficker.computer.worm/index.html).Malware creators love to target April Fool's Day with their wares, and the latest worm, called Conficker C, could be one of the most damaging attacks we've seen in years.
Conficker first bubbled up in late 2008 and began making headlines in January (http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/null/116396) as known infections topped 9 million computers. Now in its third variant, Conficker C, the worm has grown incredibly complicated, powerful, and virulent... though no one is quite sure exactly what it will do when D-Day arrives.
:tinfoil:

[ThePlague]

Good thing i'm using Linux :p

[sdavis117]

Special Conflicker detector software at your service. (http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm)

[Warsaw]

Yay OSX...even though it has a shitton of security holes (and lacks Windows's versatility), it's immune to PC-specific bugs.

[Maniac]

http://malwarebytes.org/
i trust that program 100% for this type of thing, its saved my ass a couple of times.

[rossmum]

I'd laugh so hard if it wasn't actually malicious at all, that'd be kind of appropriate... everyone's in some mass panic and this little box pops up, "APRIL FOOLS", then that's it...

My PC should be clean, scanned all the usual hiding places the other day and all I found was something in FF's folder listed as a decompression bomb (no idea where that came from, as I'm pretty careful and I only formatted recently)... either way, it'll be fine so long as nobody opens it. Unless this thing does just that, I should be right.

Failing that, I could always just not switch my PC on vOv

e/ lol at the way it installs, I close those things when they open normally and it's p obvious from the "INSTALL" part something's up

[legionaire45]

I have all my data backed up on DVD anyway; assuming this thing doesn't scan through for personal information of any kind, even if I was affected by it I wouldn't lose anything except the time required to nuke + reinstall.

I think it's interesting that they're beginning to treat these things like actual viruses (virii?)... Lemme find the link I was reading earlier.
Nevermind, couldn't find the article.

[Cojafoji]

It's nothing that responsibly regulating your internet access, won't prevent, especially if combined with a passive AV scanner.

[Alwin Roth]

Ohshi, i read about this on the newspaper, they gave off some free sites that help prevent it.

Brb gotta go dumpster raiding for the newspaper.

edit:
got it, here's what it says:


Repelling Conficker

Severaltools can detect and block malicious programs here are three:

WINPATROL (www.winpatrol.com (http://www.winpatrol.com))
free tool, long popular techies, blocks and alerts you to any malicious program that tries to install itself to your hard drive. Winpatrol plus, designer for consumers, costs $30 for a lifetime subscription.

Bufferzone Pro (www.trustware.com (http://www.trustware.com))
Tool sends all internet traffic to a virtual buffer zone, stopping any malicious program from running on your hard drive. Cost is $40 for an annual subscription, with a free one- month trial now available.

Engima SpyHunter (www.enigmasoftware.com)
This anti-spyware supplier has produced a free tool deisgned specifically to inspect for, and remove, conficker infections.

USA Today, March 25, 2009

[Cojafoji]

Worst list of sites ever.

[Phopojijo]

Yeah but here's the problem... DID you get it all? Was there another virus loading Downanup? Did it open a security hole that'll give you an easy infection next time?

There's problems...

Like a friend of mine said "Nuke it from orbit" is the only way to go.

Backup your data
Reinstall windows from a patched source (either by downloading the latest service pack installer to a CD/DVD... or by remaking your Windows Install CD/DVD using nLite or vLite)
Restore JUST your data.

Though let's face it... XP after Service Pack 2 and Vista should be safe enough***

***By safe enough I mean you SHOULD be able to physically update it before you get infected... unlike XP without service packs.