New Code Red-Like Hacking Tool to “Slam” SQL Servers, Free Bitdefender Tool is Available
January 25, 2003 – Bucharest, Romania
BitDefender Labs today signaled a new worm, using a known flaw in popular database software from Microsoft Corp., called “SQL Server 2000. Because this platform is used by many Internet traffic-directing devices (known as routers), in the whole world, the Internet might be slowed down in the next days – the specialists say.
The worm is sending out thousands of information packets, at every moment, using a software flaw discovered by researchers in July 2002 that allows hackers to get hold of corporate database servers.
“BitDefender engineers began effectively blocking the malicious data traffic by producing a free antiviral tool against the new threat” says Bogdan Dumitru, CTO at BitDefender. “We haven’t met that problem since CodeRed, but I believe that this already is a trend for virus writers, speculating known vulnerabilities to quickly spread in the Internet” concluded Bogdan.
Microsoftâ„? (www.microsoft.com) has already offered a free repairing patch, but it nobody knows how many computer have the fix.
BitDefender Labs advises all computer administrators using the SQL Server to immediately patch the software or, if already infected, to use the disinfection tool provided for free on the Internet. The removal tool against this threat is available at http://www.bitdefender.com/html/free_tools.php, together with other free antivirus solutions. The Microsoft patch for SQL Servers is also available for free on the Internet.
For technical details about this threat and about its removal, please visit the BitDefender Virus Center at http://www.bitdefender.com/html/virus_info.php or on the Microsoft
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The users of the BitDefender Professional solutions are protected against this threat and they don’t have to download and to use any removal tools. BitDefender Professional starts at $ 44.95, including an entire year of free services and updates, and a free 30-day trial version may be downloaded from HERE .
BitDefender is known for having stopped – by releasing cutting-edge, free antivirus solutions – the infections generated by Sircam, Nimda, Klez and other threats with a superior probability of spreading.
Please, see http://www.bitdefender.com/html/bd_professional.php for more information on BitDefenderâ„? Professional.
Note for the editors:
About SOFTWIN:
Founded in 1990, SOFTWIN is a leading provider of PC anti-virus software and computer security services. The company has developed and applied cutting-edge technologies in over 500 software applications and more than 2,500 data conversion projects for clients in the United States and Europe. BitDefenderâ„?, its flagship product, is only the third product of its kind in the world to receive ICSA certification for Windows XP and the first to be awarded for groundbreaking innovation by the European Commission and Academies. SOFTWIN is headquartered in Bucharest, Romania, and employs more than 450. Company Website: http://www.softwin.ro
About BitDefender
The mission of the SOFTWIN’s Data Security Division is to ensure the protection of systems against computer viruses, to do antivirus research, to develop new technologies for monitoring all possible ways to infect a system and, last but not least, to educate the IT public of the danger of computer viruses. Launched as a new brand in November 2001, BitDefenderâ„? now provides security solutions to satisfy the protection requirements of today’s business environment, enabling management of all complex threats that endanger a network, from a small local area to large multi-server, multi-platform WAN’s. Website: http://www.bitdefender.com