Worm/Trojans: a Double Threat from Malicious Code

With more and more Worm/Trojan type viruses appearing, today’s Oxygen3 24h-365d will look at the double threat that this type of malicious code represents for users.

On the one hand, Worm/Trojans are able to spread rapidly via e-mail or across the Internet, sniffing out vulnerable computers. They are also able however, to take Trojan-type actions, such as controlling certain communication ports on a computer, leaving them open for a hacker to access the computer. They can operate as a single malicious code capable of launching all actions, as was the case with the Opaserv virus. However, more often than not they are worms which spread via e-mail and download other files containing Trojans once they have entered the computer.

One of the most significant Worm/Trojans, and a pioneer of the second technique, is Bugbear, which last year caused a serious epidemic. As reported by Oxygen3 24h-365d at the time, this is a worm that spreads across the Internet via e-mail and, once it has infected a computer, downloads a Trojan called PWS.BugBear, which is designed to make external connections through a communication port. BugBear led the way for others such as Opaserv, Lovgate, Randon or Deloder, which spreads via IRC and can carry out a number of dangerous actions on infected computers.

The proliferation of this kind of malicious code highlights the need to use a reliable antivirus with regular updates to provide protection against all known viruses. If such a solution also has a personal firewall, as is the case with Panda Antivirus Platinum 7.0, this additional protection can prevent Trojans from opening backdoors on the system.