Security Announcements: Windows WMF Exploit and Sober Worm
Insidious and subtle, software vulnerability and self-profligating viruses and worms are a danger to anyone with a personal computer. Whether you are an avid internet user or not, these programs can weaken and/or destroy your ability to maintain your computer’s security. An associate who is a principal with a local technology group has posted the following security warnings on their company website. The links below will take you to the group’s main webpage and to the security announcement page.
Anyone that utilizes a computer, for business or personal use, can click on the links provided and take advantage of the security warnings and/or solutions offered there. Forewarned is forearmed. If you are unsure about your computer’s vulnerability or the solutions offered, contact your system administrator or technology consultant for assistance in protecting your PC from exposure to these new threats.
The following Security Announcement is from the website of Convergent Technologies in Richmond, Virginia.
Windows WMF Exploit
A serious new remotely exploitable vulnerability has been discovered in Microsoft Windows’ image processing code.
UNTIL THIS IS REPAIRED BY MICROSOFT, ANY ATTEMPT
TO DISPLAY A MALICIOUS IMAGE IN WINDOWS COULD
INSTALL MALICIOUS SOFTWARE INTO THE COMPUTER.
Sober Worm to Launch on January 6, 2005
W32.Sober.X@mm is a mass-mailing worm that uses its own SMTP engine to spread and lowers security settings. It sends itself as an email attachment to addresses gathered from the compromised computer. The email may be in either English or German.