Topic: Danger: USB worm strikes

[Clive]

Watch out for a new computer worm that spreads by copying itself onto removable drives such as USB memory sticks.

The SillyFD-AA worm hunts for removable drives such as floppy disks and USB memory drives to ensure a copy automatically runs when the device is next connected to a computer.

SillyFD-AA creates a hidden file called autorun.inf to ensure a copy of the worm is run the next time it is plugged into a Windows PC. It also changes the title of Internet Explorer windows to display the words "Hacked by 1BYTE".

"With USB keys becoming so cheap they are increasingly being given away at tradeshows and in direct mailshots, said a senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Computer owners should tread very carefully when plugging an unknown device into their PC, however, as it could have malicious code planted on it."

According to Sophos, SillyFD-AA is an example of how hackers are increasingly looking for less well defended routes, including USB keys, to infect people.

Experts advise people to disable the autorun facility of Windows so removable devices such as USB keys and CD ROMs do not automatically launch when they are attached to a PC and that any storage device which is attached to a computer should be checked for virus and other malware before use.