A new variant of the infamous Code Red worm is unlikely to cause
much havoc, say Sophos experts.
The new worm, a minor variant of Code Red II, relies on a well
known flaw in some versions of Microsoft's IIS web server software,
but due to the high media profile and concern about earlier
versions of Code Red many businesses have already protected
themselves.
However, some system administrators may still not have taken
appropriate action, despite Microsoft having first issued a patch
against the vulnerability in 2001.
"Worms like Code Red not only infect your server, they also
generate huge amounts of unnecessary internet traffic," said Graham
Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos Anti-Virus. "Having
an unpatched server is irresponsible, because you put yourself at
risk whilst potentially spreading the worm to others. There is no
excuse for sitting back and waiting to become a victim. If you use
IIS and you haven't acted already, do so now."
Sophos recommends that users who have not already updated their
versions of Microsoft IIS refer to the security bulletin published on
Microsoft's website.
System administrators are also advised to consider subscribing
to vulnerability mailing lists such as that operated by Microsoft
at www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/notify.asp.
Other vendors offer similar services.
One little known fact about the Code Red worm is that it
acquired its name from the "Code Red" cherry flavour of the
Mountain Dew soft drink. One of the first researchers to analyse
the worm consumed large amounts of the drink whilst examining the
worm's code.
More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos as the best protection against complex threats and data loss. Sophos is committed to providing security and data protection solutions that are simple to manage, deploy and use and that deliver the industry's lowest total cost of ownership. Sophos offers award-winning encryption, endpoint security, web, email, and network access control solutions backed by SophosLabs - a global network of threat intelligence centers. With more than two decades of experience, Sophos is regarded as a leader in security and data protection by top analyst firms and has received many industry awards.
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