Watch out for MS BLASTER virus!

okay, this is really wierd. the MS BLASTER virus somehow hacked into the Department of Veterans Affairs (commonly known as the VA) Server and so computers are crashing all over the place. IMPORTANT!!! if you have Windows XP, you are at great risk! any other computer BESIDES WINDOWS NT can and may be affected. if you have another kind of windows computer other than windows NT, i STRONGLY urge you go to google search and type in windows. go to the first choice and choose downloads. there you will find a section on virus protection updates. for the rest of you who have Sony, Apple, etc., i urge you to go to your computer manufacturer's homepage and do the same.

PS: i was given this information by my uncle, who is a big-time computer programmer for the VA system. today he had to reset about 150 computers because they got the virus. the Windows NT computers are not affected because they have an automated program that destroys any incoming undentifed source.

BTW this is #500! yeah!!!

[ShadowMage]

it's no big mystery how it "hacked" into the system. The virus takes advantage of a security hole in Win2k/XP by slipping through a port that is left open. (...more or less) So unless they have that port specifically closed off the virus will get through quite easily.

http://securityresponse.symantec.com...ster.worm.html

[isk8blind]

i got that god damn worm on my computer. so i have to go to the library or my dads bar to go on the internet. it can affect:
microsoft xp
microsoft 2000
microdoft nt
microsoft nt 2000
and another one i think.

these ar the PC's that are affected:

Microsoft Windows® NT 4.0
Microsoft Windows® NT 4.0 Terminal Services Edition
Microsoft Windows® 2000
Microsoft Windows® XP
Microsoft Windows® Server 2003

i got that directly from the microsoft site. it doesnt have to be a microsoft computer, it just has to have that compute based format. ex: i have a Compaq Presario 6000T, but the format is in Windows XP 2000, so i am vulnerable, but not anymore. i have 5 different virus protection programs runnin 24/7 so there is no way in hell that worm is gettin in

[isk8blind]

if anyone wants a patch to get rid of the worm email me at spilltoneman@msn.com it takes about a 1min. to get rid of it.

[Racer9]

I have 98 ha ha!

[denden]

I'm running ME .

[Yugo DSC Maxxer]

Originally posted by SkyLiNEz 4-eva!
i have 5 different virus protection programs runnin 24/7 so there is no way in hell that worm is gettin in

Lol..My dad has McAfee set up so that it ask's if anything can get in, get out, or access the Internet...It even asks sometimes if Internet Explorer can access the internet!!

Originally posted by Yugo DSC Maxxer
Lol..My dad has McAfee set up so that it ask's if anything can get in, get out, or access the Internet...It even asks sometimes if Internet Explorer can access the internet!!

yeah, it asks me every time i want to visit a website sometimes, so although it helps its kinda annyoing to go into either internet or anything. it even asks me before a game starts if i want that program to access the internet. ive got McAfee, Norton, Zone Alarm, a personal LAN shield, and an AOL shield.

[ShadowMage]

i have 5 different virus protection programs runnin 24/7 so there is no way in hell that worm is gettin in [/b]

First off, if you have a firewall of some sort hooked up you're pretty safe? I mean most routers (for DSL and cable) come with some level of firewall built in and will easily block this virus from getting into your machine. Second, you do know that having 5 different virus scanners on your computer could very easily hose your machine. Just a bit of warning.

PS - I'm running WinXP Pro with AVG Virus scanner (one of, if not THE best virus scanner available) and have honestly never gotten a virus. Ever.

yep, but as the old saying goes, "You can NEVER be too safe". but i dont care. but what i cant believe is that it hasnt gotten into the IRS database. they upgraded all their computers to XP 2000, and they can be affected as easily. if the worm can get into the VA database, surely the IRS D-base cant be hard to crack. cause with the VA, you got med. records, patient confidentiality, medications perscribed and even the patient's address and phone #, as well as your Social Security #, health care/insurance companies and credit card information. then again, the IRS base has most of that stuff too...but dang...at least this isnt as bad as the 1999 Melissa Virus or the 2001 I Love You virus. now THOSE were serious.

[ShadowMage]

Disclaimer: Please do not be offended by the following statements, they are merely opinion and nothing more.

Actually I believe the saying is, "You can never be too careful." Anyway, as far as IRS goes I'd think they would have plenty of firewall protection myself. At least enough to ward off this virus. And as far as the melissa virus goes...I believe that was a good lesson in several things.
First, it showed that the average joe user need to be educated on the proper use of a PC and the internet. One of the big reasons the virus spread like it did was because, to put it bluntly, average PC users a largely uneducated when it comes to these matters. They think, "oh an attachment from somebody I don't know! I'll open it!" (mock if you must, at LEAST one user out there will think this and do it!) And all it will take is one. After that it spreads through the address book and just snow balls from there.
The second thing ties in with the first, in that people need to learn to update their virus scanners!! About 80% of the people I've dealt with that could qualify as the average user, do not update their virus scanner regularly. And about 20 to 30% don't even HAVE a virus scanner leaving themselves wide open!
I realize there are problems with the implementation of the first but I seriously think that, at the very least, if someone goes into a store, or what have you, to buy a computer they MUST go through a training course and/or pass some sort of test to prove they will know at least a little of what their doing. And I'm not talking about a typing class, I'm talking about basic level training for Windows XP/98/ME (depending on what OS they get on their machine) about a few of the functions, how to use them, and what to do under certain situations. Most users, that's not to say all, simply freak out when they get a virus and have no idea what to do, so they take it in to the computer techs to have it serviced. I think a LOT of these outbreaks of viruses could easily be stopped if people would just use some common sense and/or get training.

PS - Again I realize that there are implementation problems with this, but the majority (again not to say all) of those that don't know the PC basics, as it were, believe it would be too hard to learn them, don't have the time to learn them (understandable), or see the PC world as this big mysterious monster that would eat them alive if they were to delve to deep therein.

(wow...I talk too much... )

. this worm actually doesnt infect your computer and destroy files. it just turns it off every 10 minutes, so heres what you need to do if you are infected by the worm(i got this from my email provider comcast.net, so i had to fix it up a little):

1. Close all open programs and press and hold down the following keys simultaneously: Ctrl (Control), Alt and Delete

2. Click the Task Manager button

3. Select the Processes tab

4. Click the Image Name column to sort the list in alphabetical order

5. Select the msblast.exe file by clicking on it once. Then, click the End Process button. If you do not see msblast.exe in the list of running tasks, please proceed to Step 6 as you should still check your system for the Worm and apply the Microsoft patch. (Some operating systems require that you log in as
Owner/Administrator in order to install this patch)

6. Now you can close the Windows® Task Manager screen by clicking the X in the upper right hand corner.

7. Next, determine which operating system you are using. Since Microsoft has different patches to protect each operating system, you will need to know which operating system you have on your computer.

8. Click on the Start button, go up to Run. Type winver and press the Enter key. The window displayed will indicate which operating system is being used (Windows(r) 2000, Windows(r) XP, etc.)

9. Once you have determined your operating system, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tre...n/MS03-026.asp and click on the link for you operating system.

10. Click Download on the right side of the page.

11. Choose Run or Open from this location. (Some operating systems require that you log in as Owner/Administrator in order to install this patch)

12. Confirm security warning pop-up by clicking Yes.

13. Follow pop-up instructions.

14. Once your computer has finished go to
http://securityresponse.symantec.com.../FixBlast.exe, when prompted click Open.

15. Click the Start button displayed on the Symantec W32.Blaster.Worm.Fix Tool. The tool will begin analyzing your files and folders for the worm and may take several minutes to complete.

16. When it has finished, you will have successfully checked your system for the MSBlast Worm and installed the patch.

Please note: If done incorrectly, some of the steps in this FAQ can cause problems with your Operating System. You should carefully review all terms, policies, and instructions on any of the websites that you visit while following these steps. We are not responsible for any damage done to your computer from any source to remove this worm.

and there ya go! all done!

Update on MSBlast worm: the VA medical HQ in washington DC has indefinitely been infected. they say that the worm pings IP addresses to get a response at the rate of 140,000 IP pings per second! and it has been sent throughout the whole VA system across the US. but the scary part is: its not only pinging IP addresses for VA computers, its also Pinging to home addresses, so it can be sent from Seattle, Washington all the way to Miami, Florida. basically what this worm does is it gets into a computer. when 1 computer is infected, the worm pings out millions of IP addresses, and what it tries to find is an open port so it can enter and then keep going to find more open ports.