Conficker found on external HD devices on sale

Australian supermarket chain ALDI might seem like the last place where one can pick up a Conficker infection, but according to an emergency security alert by the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team, the worm has been discovered on a Fission External 4-in-1 Hard Drive/DVD/USB/Card Reader product the stores offer for sale.

ALDI has effected an immediate recall of the product from its shelves and has urged customers who have bought the product to return it. The chain says that the worm was found on a small number of the devices, and that it can be removed by fully formatting them.

SCMagazine Australia reports that AusCERT has also advised a full format of the device for those who won’t be returning it to the store and to scan their computer with an up-to-date AV solution. Since Conficker is an old threat, the majority of commercial AV solution contain the signature for spotting it.

The worm’s presence on the drives has initially been detected by a Kaspersky AV product, and “the manufacturer recommends that this same software or similar be used to scan all customers’ computers and USB storage devices which have been in contact with the four-in-one hard drive, to detect and remove if present,” an ALDI spokeperson stated.