Malware hitches a ride on digital devices

[mjc]

"It propagates to any connected device by copying a script, a com file and an autorun file," one consumer reported to the ISC. "It hides all systems files and itself while completely eliminating the user admin ability to show hidden files. It creates processes that negate any attempt to go to anti virus and anti spam web sites. It prevents the remote installation of any antivirus components."

http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11499?ref=rss

[deeds]

good article

[Ajmukon]

"It propagates to any connected device by copying a script, a com file and an autorun file," one consumer reported to the ISC. "It hides all systems files and itself while completely eliminating the user admin ability to show hidden files. It creates processes that negate any attempt to go to anti virus and anti spam web sites. It prevents the remote installation of any antivirus components."

I do not like it....

[Whyzman]

Landry was frank about the chances of any manufacturer eliminating the risk of accidental infection: A company cannot rule out an infection in the factory, but it can make the probability of such an incident very unlikely, he said.Italics mine. I doubt we'd ever hear of disgruntled employee accidental infections... :rolleyes:

Several companies, including Microsoft and a hacking group, have inadvertantly shipped CDs with Trojan horses or viruses.Italics mine. Somehow I don't quite see innocuous manufacturing code on a computer somewhere evolving or mutating vis-a-vis Darwin into specific password stealing software if left on its own... :rolleyes: Okay, it might if given a few billion years... ;)

[PrntRhd]

And another reason to wipe a new HDD/thumbdrive before trusting it.

[mjc]

Autorun turned off...

Wipe then format...

Then use...

Or, especially with thumbdrives...use a Linux Live CD for first access, then sanitize.

[Paleo Pete]

Wal-Mart, the owner of Sam's Club, told the ISC that its security team had randomly checked several dozen picture frames and did not find additional infections, Sachs said.

Several dozen...I'm sure that's a great cross section of the millions out there, I suppose since wally world checked a few dozen we're all safe...yeah right...and of course they "could not immediately comment on the issue."...

Nah, I'm not cynical... :D

I've always been pretty wary of my USB drive, especially using it when I work on computers, it makes life a lot easier and I don't have to constantly burn a new CD every time someone releases an update, so I try to always plug it into my Linux machine and take a look at what's on it especially after I use it on a particularly nasty machine.

So far I suppose I've been lucky, I found one odd file about 2 years ago, and of course Linux wouldn't run it, but quite easily deleted it. So I keep a 512MB USB drive for a "work drive" that I check closely on Linux after every PC I work on, and another for just personal use, it never sees a known infected computer. I check it now and then too.

And on the lighter side, I think this guy just coined a new term we might see from time to time...digital hygiene...I kinda like the sound of it actually...

I usually move the autorun to a folder, not the root of the drive, make sure it still works then delete the folder. Maybe I do need to start formatting them too. I also plug it into Linux first to do that, since autorun won't do anything and I can deal with it before Windows ever sees the drive at all. I guess maybe I'm just suspicious in the first place, but I've always been wary of their autorun software, ever since my first 256MB Lexar drive. First thing I did was shut it down and move it so WInodws wouldn't run it..

[SufferWell1396]

Typical USB drives Digital Hygiene:

4%

:p

[PrntRhd]

The infection found on the digital picture frames appears to be worse than initially thought:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/15/insignia-photo-frame-virus-much-nastier-than-originally-thought/
According to an analyst form Computer Associates, the trojan, called Mocmex, is able to block more than 100 types of security and anti-virus software from killing it, and bypasses the Windows firewall to download files from remote locations, spreading them randomly over your hard drive and any portable storage device you plug into your PC