Asp classified script

Hold Your War Vote

Sure enough, predictions that hackers would step up their efforts following the recent terrorist attacks are coming true. And, in a cruel twist, several new computer security threats have drawn on the World Trade Center disaster as a theme.

One of the new threats--classified as a worm because of its method of propagation--is dubbed War Vote. It shows up as an e-mail message that purports to offer a way you can vote on whether America should be at war after the recent terrorist attacks. Like many recent viruses and worms, War Vote spreads through the e-mail address books of people using Microsoft Outlook e-mail software. According to researchers at Trend Micro, War Vote was created in Visual Basic 5.

The subject line of War Vote reads "Peace between America and Islam!" A file attachment called WTC.exe arrives with the message. Clicking on that attachment can delete files on your hard drive and further distribute the worm through the Microsoft Outlook address book. If a system hosts Web pages, War Vote can also deface Web pages by replacing their content with the following obscure text: "America...few days will show you what we can do!!! It's our turn Zaker is so sorry for you."

War Vote is constructed to detect antivirus software on systems, according to Trend Micro, and can delete antivirus programs. At http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=TROJ_VOTE.A, Trend Micro provides steps you can take to rid your system of War Vote. You'll also find free virus scanning software--dubbed HouseCall--that you can download to scan for War Vote.

Antivirus maker Central Command is reporting that either War Vote or a strain of it is capable of installing a remote administration program on an affected system by executing a script that downloads remote control software. The software creates a backdoor through which a remote user can access files on an affected system.

War Vote comes close on the heels of the Nimda worm, which began circulating widely just after the recent terrorist attacks. Security experts have said that the period following the attacks will include many new efforts from hackers, although there is no clear sign yet that War Vote has a direct relationship to the recent attacks.

Related Links: Special Report: The September 11th Tragedy