Infects and corrupts several file types
spreads in network shares
One of the few virus I've encountered that can only be cleaned up by reloading windows
Aussie power grid threatened by virus
Summary
Integral Energy has been infected by a virus which affected executable Windows files across its fleet of desktops but the company says the power grid is safe.
Topics
Sydney, Australia - Australian power utility Integral Energy has been infected by a virus which affected executable Windows files across its fleet of desktops.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed that the company had been infected with W32.Virut.CF and was in the process of its rebuilding its entire fleet desktops.
However, the spokesperson stressed that the power grid had not been affected. "[The virus] attacks Microsoft products and the network doesn't run on Microsoft," they said, adding that there was absolutely no way it could make its way onto the grid.
Read more on "Virus hits Integral Energy desktops" on ZDNet Australia.
Talkback Most Recent of 19 Talkback(s)
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zmud1st Oct 2009 -
Not at all
An even easier way is to delete your Windows partition and install Linux.
rahbm6th Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
If there's "absolutely no way it could make its way onto the grid" then don't use a sensational headline like "power grid threatened by virus."
clay@...1st Oct 2009 -
A good lesson for those that haven't already learnt it
"[The virus] attacks Microsoft products and the network doesn't run on
Microsoft,"
Keep Microsoft away from your critical infrastructure.
Richard Flude1st Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
So how much is it going to cost to reload Windows on all of their systems, and how much data will be permanently lost? Would this not be an opportune time to re-examine your dependency on Microsoft products?
dilireus@...1st Oct 2009 -
Virut Virus - very nasty ...
The start of the year I have encountered VIRUT.
and it is a hard nut to crack - but I eventually DID kill it without losing much info or data - and Without resorting to formatting!
One of the BEST tools is Dr.Web CURE-IT!
One of the first things you'll notice with VIRUT infection is the resources suddenly get bloated and the computer tends to hang and slow down, and under Task Manager [ if you can get it to run - it may also get disabled !] the SVCHOST files get replicated, and dozens of CMD or COMMAND file entries suddenly show in the Task manager window at a very fast rate.
VIRUT will actually run and tries to spawn itself even under safe mode. It also placed a passcode on the ADMIN for safe mode, which I had to forcibly remove with an emergency boot disk tool kit.[ I am glad I bought that disk when I had the chance years ago .]
And another thing I found is it does a very nasty registry hack which Disables 90% of all known AntiVirus, and Anti-Spyware tools. Until I found this I was unable to install or re-install or run any other Anti Virus programs, or tools like SpyBot S&D, Malwarebytes AntiMalware, XoftSpy , and many others. I even tried a couple of "on-line" antivirus, which promptly started to just delete essential files it found infected, before I was able to forcibly terminate the diagnostic.
So then after having to try and re-load Windows back again I finally found and ran the Dr.Web CURE-IT!, which does what it says - cures what files it can instead of deleting them. - and this process WILL take many hours for the thorough scan ...
Another important thing to do if encountering VIRUT, is to disable and completely DELETE the Windows Restore backup files as these also get infected, and simply replace themselves back over the freshly cured files. [ and also have to purge the System Backup folder as well ].
And the final problem it causes is to disable the SFC tool by removing an essential registry link which causes SFC to be unable to rebuild the System Backup folder and files with clean new files.
It took a while but I was able to exterminate VIRUT off 2 machines .
VIRUT infects ALL Micro$oft OS's from at least Win9x to VISTA, it attaches to ALL .EXE and .com type files as well as .DLL's. It is a very active replicant and if it detects the internet it tries to bring in a host of other nasty trojans, worms, and so forth - even under Safe Mode !
trog71st Oct 2009 -
Frequent Drive Image Backups the Prevention/Solution !
Frequent backups of hard drive contents as a "Drive Image" using such software as Ghost, Acronis True Image, etc. to an external drive or network storage would have prevented all this time-consuming hassle restoring systems. This kind of system backup should be adopted by all! It would save countless man-hours restoring systems damaged by malware.
With new malware subverting the System Restore function, it's the only good way to restore a system close to the way it was before infection. The degree of closeness will only depend on the frequency of making the Drive Image backups.
mik32nd Oct 2009 -
Wow, that's a lot of work!
I don't bother fixing Windows anymore.
It takes just a few minutes to train people with Linux which is a much better alternative. And one that doesn't automatically generate callbacks.
Joe.Smetona2nd Oct 2009 -
We've all found ourselves in this mode.
For me, it was finally wondering where all the time went trying to repair a system.
I agree with some of the readers' comments that it's much easier to reformat the drive and re-install.
Typically, in a corporate environment, someone has completed all of the software and driver installs, the customizations and configurations and imaged the hard drive.
The best example I could think of is a worker's computer being taken away just before lunch and the rebuilt workstation being returned just after lunch.
However, I disagree with some writers who blame the ineptitude of the IT department. Recent corporate outbreaks of malware such as Conficker E have been extremely hard to completely extinguish and any malware that can spread over a network it almost impossible to eliminate.
I've been using Linux (Knoppix, Freespire and lately Linux Mint) for 8 years with no problems. Linux Mint 7 would work in any corporate environment and since gaming and p2p activity wouldn't be allowed anyway, all the other bases are covered. Using OpenOffice 3 in a corporate environment for Excel and Word equivalent documents has not presented any problems to me. In fact the conversion of documents to Excel for other workers worked flawlessly.
BTW, there actually is a Limewire Debian Linux version for download on the limewire website.
It's a perfect install on Linux Mint 7. However, 3 of the 4 songs I initially downloaded were deleted by the website because it's scanners had found (Window's) viruses embedded in them. It's not a bad action because even though the viruses won't affect Linux, sharing the files with a Window's friend would be a disaster.
The point here is, don't let anyone in the organization use p2p programs.Joe.Smetona3rd Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
Sounds like poor admin skills on the part of the Aussies. That virus should never have gotten in. Also doesn't affect the grid so no issue there. The bright side to this is that reloading Windows and cleaning them up is 10 times easier than the alternatives.
Loverock Davidson1st Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
Well, no one teaches computers to people.
It's almost 2010 and we just hired a guy and he has no clue as to how a computer works.
He has developed great skills at deflecting this inadequacy by his yarn spinning. He's not alone.
I think most workers are at this level.
Management, mistakenly, takes the view that people are computer literate.
Ashtonian1st Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
Computer skills need to be an integral part of interviews fr any job role.
shaman.prince@...1st Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
This is terrible journalism. The third sentence in the article retracts its sensational headline. Save the page-turners for a romance novel, please.
redfours1st Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
Does an IPS pickup this virus or is it a pure AV call? Wonderin wot AV sol was the Grid running :-Xshaman.prince@...1st Oct 2009 -
RE: Aussie power grid threatened by virus
No facts to support your headline. Blantant attention grabbing and complete lack of jouranlistic interity by whoever re-headlined this snippet from the Australian original. zdnet slips further in my estimation
LeeJ_UK1st Oct 2009
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