Experts at Sophos have warned computer users about an increase
in the number of reports of the W32/Zafi-B worm.
The Zafi-B worm, which first appeared on Friday 11 June, spreads
itself by peer-to-peer filesharing systems and email using a wide
variety of different languages.
The Zafi-B worm can display a message box on screen containing
the following Hungarian text:
A hajlektalanok elhelyezeset, a bunteto torvenyek
szigoritasat, es a HALALBUNTETES MEGSZAVAZASAT koveteljuk a
kormanytol, a novekvo bunozes ellen! 2004, jun, Pécs,(SNAF
Team).
The English translation is:
We demand that the government accomodates the homeless,
tightens up the penal code and VOTES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY to cut
down the increasing crime. Jun. 2004, Pécs (SNAF Team)
"The Zafi-B worm has accounted for over 60 per cent of the
reports to Sophos's global network of monitoring stations over the
last 24 hours, making it the most widespread email worm at the
moment," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for
Sophos. "All computer users should ensure their defences are in
place against the latest viruses. That not only includes regular
anti-virus updates to protect against emerging threats, but also
running a policy at your email gateway to block unwanted executable
code from entering your business."
The Zafi-B worm is believed to have been written in Hungary, but
can send itself via email using a variety of languages. Its
predecessor, W32/Zafi-A, displayed a message calling for
Hungarian patriotism.
Customers using Sophos products were
automatically protected against the Zafi-B worm at their next
scheduled update.
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.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.