The Blaster Worm Takes the Web (PCGH-Retro, August 11)

…2003: Computer viruses are not a new phenomenon; the first copies were already in circulation decades ago. But even if the small malware programs usually replicate themselves, they are mostly dependent on the user’s actions: At first, for example, the user had to insert an infected diskette and start a program, later – as with “ILOVEYOU” in May 2000 – the attachment one Open email. Without any such help, a worm began to spread on August 11, 2003: W32.Blaster, also known as Lovesan, uses a security hole in Windows versions 2000 and XP to multiply directly over the network – without the user open an e-mail or go to a website. The worm attacks randomly selected IP addresses and injects itself via an open port in order to spread from the infected computer. But not only that: the worm causes infected PCs to repeatedly shut down themselves, making it difficult to find and combat the cause. Even if Blaster uses it to slow its own spread, it infects several million systems. Many blame Microsoft for the epidemic – a Windows patch for the vulnerability has long been available.