New Variants of Spamta Worms Flood Computers

On November 9, 2006, PandaLabs found seven recent versions of Spamta worm operational within a short span of time. All are planned to direct themselves to addresses harvested from affected computers. This upsurge of worms arrives barely a month after the earlier one wherein the architects of this menace issued almost 67 versions. The latest versions of this worm are expected to deluge the computers very soon.

The Spamta worms accesses the computers as email attachments. The look of these e-mails are diverse, albeit in several instances, they copy email delivery failure messages. The current versions detected resemble each other, with the only dissimilarities being the email contents they employ as lure, the volume of the compressed files bearing the worms, or the files that they replicate to the infected machines.

The CY version, for instance, opens Notepad displaying a chain of distorted script, while the FQ version displays a dialog box stating that a software update has been effectively completed.

The makers of Spamta apparently don't pause. The tactic of the worms' inventor is to place several versions of this worm in motion to improve the chances of at least one of them affecting a computer.

"It would appear that the architects of the Spamta worms are set to flood the net with innumerable variations of Spamta, even though their final aim isn't evident," told PandaLabs' Director, Luis Corrons. "We think that the tactic could be to make clients and security firms so used to these worms that their security becomes lax, and then the hackers can attack by placing much more hazardous versions in motion," he added.

These newfound variations do not match the dynamic of the latest malicious code, whose sole purpose is to make fortunes for the designers of threats. These tests are intended to check the quick spread of malware to the majority of computers. After this is attained, it is likely that the hacker will endeavor to incorporate few innovative elements that will let them perpetrate greater damage.

Related article: New Zealand Releases Code To Reduce Spam

» SPAMfighter News - 11/15/2006