Conficker-Anyone hear about it?

[NumiGamer]

(Quote from www.acidmods.com)

"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.

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 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.

Thanks in part to a quarter-million-dollar bounty on the head of the writer of the worm, offered by Microsoft, security researchers are aggressively digging into the worm’s code as they attempt to engineer a cure or find the writer before the deadline. What’s known so far is that on April 1, all infected computers will come under the control of a master machine located somewhere across the web, at which point anything’s possible. Will the zombie machines become denial of service attack pawns, steal personal information, wipe hard drives, or simply manifest more traditional malware pop-ups and extortion-like come-ons designed to sell you phony security software? No one knows.

Conficker is clever in the way it hides its tracks because it uses an enormous number of URLs to communicate with HQ. The first version of Conficker used just 250 addresses each day — which security researchers and ICANN simply bought and/or disabled — but Conficker C will up the ante to 50,000 addresses a day when it goes active, a number which simply can’t be tracked and disabled by hand.

At this point, you should be extra vigilant about protecting your PC: Patch Windows completely through Windows Update and update your anti-malware software as well. Make sure your antivirus software is actually running too, as Conficker may have disabled it.

Microsoft also offers a free online safety scan here, which should be able to detect all Conficker versions.

Source:Yahoo

Posted by treemty "
(There was supposed to be a link where it said "here" The link for the scan leads here:
http://www.acidmods.com/news/go.php?...us/default.htm)

Seeing as how MS put a $250k bounty on this guy, it seems big. Usually big things make it into news stations. I haven't heard of this anywhere else. Has anyone heard of it? I've looked into it and it seems legit, but idk, this virus seems...phishy (lol at my terrible virus pun).
I trust Acidmods, its a decent source. I just have doubts about this. Anyone else have an opinion?

[YaBoySM]

HOLY ****!!!!!!!!!!! I'm scared, MOMMY!!!!!!!

[OMG its HIM]

Never heard of this before, sounds interesting. I'm a bit skeptical on this subject myself, but this site seems to be legit. Honesly, I dont know what to make of this, but its seems scary to think of. I'd hate to have that happen to my computer, so I'm going to keep a close eye on this subject. Haven't heard of anything like this in the news.

[nuclearsamurai]

I've never heard of this either.

I'd be pretty wary about it, though.

Brb, updating Windows.

[Wineandbread]

Yeah, I heard about this at a friend from school just yesterday.

Scary stuff, if it's actually real. I hope my computer doesn't get infected. o_o

[OrganisM]

Worms have been around for ages, and this is nothing new. /shrug

It's fascinating in the scope of the network security world, but I wouldn't turn it into some y2k paranoia.

[NumiGamer]

I'm a regular there, I know the site is legit. This thing seems huge though. If it does in fact screw with people as bad as this post makes it out to be...*shivers*
And I don't think they're exaggerating. I've never seen a malware-related post on the site. Ever.

[OrganisM]

Let's huddle in little underground chambers with our copies of 1984 praying around Jesus candles and freaking whispering "the end is nigh..."

April 1st will pass... as will every other stupid ****ing apocalyptic date people arbitrarily decide on.

[coraleaterlinda]

i have heard about this, but not much, just that april 1 means we're all going to die. or something.

watch this whole drama be an april fool's joke.

if it does turn out to be legitimate, then i will probably disconnect the wireless on my laptop and keep my computer off all day on april 1, or something. i really don't know what i can do besides keeping the security updated.

[nuclearsamurai]

Originally Posted by coraleaterlinda

if it does turn out to be legitimate, then i will probably disconnect the wireless on my laptop and keep my computer off all day on april 1, or something.

Probably the smartest idea suggested so far. :l

[who_cares973]

im going to reinstall windows and disable any security on my laptop on april first to prove all you people that think **** is going to go down wrong

[LadyJag]

Its real, not an april fools joke, however there is alot of rumor running around now about it, becuase most people are of course, il-informed :P

Here's what's to know :

Its a real Worm, currenttly in its 2nd varient.

It IS Considered one of the most advanced worms ever programed, and has a bounty of $250,000 USD by Microsoft for information leading up to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in its creation.

The main way the worm gets spread is through a windows vulnrabilty through USB devices, by passing off as an open folder on device at launch, when it actually launches its self install .exe

There are about 9 million + comuputers estimated worldwide to currentlly be infected.

The Majority of those computers are IN FACT, either
A) running a hacked version of windows that didnt get updated
B) not updated becuase of user ignorance to updating in general, I.E " Well it's working fine so I have no reason to install this update. Cancel "
C)MOST of them are large businesses and such who leftthemselves open to vulnrability. Not normal Home PC's.

The Worm is designed to give the host controller COMPLETE access over the infected PC. The Worm is designed to receive a set of new commands on given dates. It HAS already been given new commands.

The myth about it doing something on April 1st is I belive simply becuase, the worm is set to recieve its next instuctions on April 1st.

** THE WORM HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING YET TO ANY PC IT HAS INFECTED OTHER THEN USE IT TO PROPIGATE FURTHER **

Hope this helps. Chances are good, if you virus database is updated, you have a firewall ( or 2 ), and windows is up to date, your fine.

*edit* small edit I doubt anyone will notice, but this isint actually LadyJag, this is Shaydow. My Hard drive took a majot SH*T the other day and Im currentlly in the process of reinstalling windows, sp2, updates, ect ( side note : I did manage to save most of the data I wanted off the broken drive, it that matters :P ). Was just surfing the forums while waiting for sp2 to dl when I read this. She was auto logged in. My bad :P

[Crashfan3]

Well, I only have one USB object that I use often, which is my external harddrive, which stores nothing but old anime fansubs.

On top of that, avast will get anything that I won't. ;]
I think I can consider myself safe.

[nuclearsamurai]

Originally Posted by Crashfan3

On top of that, avast will get anything that I won't. ;]
I think I can consider myself safe.

Seeing as avast! updates just about every day, I think I can consider both of us safe.

Also, my only USB devices are my two flash drives, and my iPod shuffle.

[Shaydow]

Ah here we go this is much better ( hurray for a few hours of work to re install :/ )

Anyway, to add : Microsoft and others seem to be thoerizing that this is simply another botnet worm. That when the author decides they have infected enough computers then they will just sell the code to the highest bidder for SPAM as just a spam bot and be done with it.

I personally, dont think so. Conficker gives the host ( whoever and WHEREVER he may be, read up more on the subject to learn just how the programmer has made a VERY tough worm to crack and has thus far been able to allude capture, google is GOOD ) COMPLETE control over the infected computer. Let me explain it to you like this. You like your computer yes? Plays hardcore games like Farcry 2 etc? Pretty bad ass huh? Imagine having the computing power of over 9 MILLION + PC'S! THAT'S what this guy has.

Cool huh?

* ERR Edit : this was SUPPOSE to be a quick respose to the Post made under the user name LadyJag. My Bad AGAIN :/ *

[OrganisM]

Thank you. Thank ****ing god, somebody isn't completely retarded.

Hmm, 9,000,000 PC's? Imagine what you could cripple with a DDoS. rofl!

[Shaydow]

Originally Posted by OrganisM

Thank you. Thank ****ing god, somebody isn't completely retarded.

Hmm, 9,000,000 PC's? Imagine what you could cripple with a DDoS. rofl!

I'm actually thinking the computing power. If you had the knowledge to understand what you where programming beforehand, and the ability to use it ( remember I said NOTHING bad has been done with Conficker, YET ), GOD, you could, well, figure out anything modern capitilaization has restiricted do to lack of capital.

Or play some REALLY uber games ( lag in FFR? F*CK THAT! )

[phe0nixblade]

It's me guys, I made Conficker. Turn me in and win yaself 250k. =D

[nuclearsamurai]

Proof or you're lying.

[coochieDREAM]

I am probably going for a complete system wipe-out before april fools. I was planning this before I even read this... I don't think it can get me if nothing is left of it O_o

Well, I don't know much about worms and stuff, so go ahead and flame me about how I'm dumb, but I don't think I have it (if it's real).