Windows Genuine Disadvantage malware sighted

[ZaZu]

Perfidious virus pushers have created a worm that poses as Microsoft's anti-piracy program, Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA).

The Cuebot-K worm spreads via AOL instant messenger in the guise of WGA. The timing of the release of the malware coincides with controversy over a feature in WGA that meant that the anti-piracy program "phoned home" with hardware and software data from PCs every time Windows started up.

Cuebot-K attempts to register itself as a new system driver service called 'wgavn', with the display name 'Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Notification'. Thereafter it runs every time a computer starts up. Users who attempt to remove the malware are falsely informed that getting rid of the program will result in system instability.

Once installed on infected machines, Cuebot-K disables Windows firewall and opens a backdoor on compromised machines, surrendering their control to hackers.

More information on the malware can be found in an analysis by anti-virus firm Sophos here.

Source: TheRegister.co.uk

I ain't got WGA and don't plan on installing any new Microsloth stuff ... gonna switch permanently to Linux ...

[Tempestv]

I run windows and office, but that is all the microsoft stuff I run. do you really think I would trust the security of my machine to microsoft?

[Imperfection]

Microsoft keeps invading privacy, all to fight piracy... no need to keep the call back feature when it has been prooved to be authentic... Imo

[mavers]

had one of those today on a customers pc nasty little bugger

[vip]

The length these idiots go to in order to create a virus.Don't they have anything better to do?

[sear]

I thought WGA was malware I mean it tried to sneak on to my system then send it's data back to it's paymaster.

[tesco]

I thought WGA was malware I mean it tried to sneak on to my system then send it's data back to it's paymaster.

It's microsoft malwares.