Worm/Sobig.F May Establish A Trojan Cyber Army For Possible Attack; Potentially Millions Of Computers Awaiting Instructions
Worm/Sobig.F de-activates spreading on September 10, 2003, next possible Sobig variant expected on or near September 11, 2003.
MEDINA, Ohio August 21, 2003 – Central Command, a leading provider of PC anti-virus software and services, today cautions Internet users of the next possible Sobig cyber attack on or about September 11th, 2003. Discovered on August 19, 2003, Worm/Sobig.F is estimated to have infected millions of systems worldwide and may draw on them to be part of a cyber army focusing a digital assault against major online services.
When particular conditions are met, Worm/Sobig.F will attempt to download additional components of the attackers choice. The pre-configured conditions include performing tests to determine if the current day is Friday or Sunday between the hours of 19:00 (7PM) and 22:00 (10PM) UTC time. When these conditions are met, the worm will attempt to retrieve further instructions that may include the downloading and execution a backdoor hacker program. Backdoors can allow someone will malicious intent to gain full control of the infected computer.
“The virus author(s) of Sobig have developed a predictable pattern of releasing new variants soon after the current version de-activates itself,” said Steven Sundermeier, VP Products and Services at Central Command, Inc. “If the past repeats itself we could be looking at a newly constructed creation shortly after September 10th. A potential risk is that the massive army created by Worm/Sobig.F could be used to launch an all out attack on large Internet infrastructures, for example, by means of a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS).”
Central Command’s Emergency Virus Response Teamâ„? is monitoring all the potential uses for creating such a large arsenal of controlled systems and highly recommends developing safe computing practices when handling email attachments to prevent future widespread infections.
About Central Command: A leader in the anti-virus industry, Central Command, Inc., a privately held company, serves home PC users and industrial, financial, government, education, healthcare and service firms with virus protection software, services, and information. The company services customers in over 98 countries and is headquartered in Medina, Ohio. Visit Central Command online ( www.centralcommand.com ) or call 1-330-723-2062 for more information.
Central Command, EVRT, Vexira, and Emergency Virus Response Team are trademarks of Central Command, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names, and products referenced herein are property of their respective owners.