Worm Hits Music Lovers Where it Hurts
A new worm has been unleashed that has the capability of deleting MP3 files. Known as the Deletemusic worm, it uses removable devices as a vector. Once the infected device gets accessed, the worm starts its work. It first multiplies onto all drives and is executed when Windows fires up.
“‘With so many people relying on their PCs to store their digital music, rather than physical CDs, a worm capable of deleting an entire MP3 collection could leave someone thousands of pounds out of pocket,’ said Orla Cox, Security Operations Manager, Symantec Security Response. ‘We would recommend all users with MP3 files on their PCs to remain cautious about the removable media devices they are using in their machines.’”
The bad news is that the worm is spreading. The good news is that it is considered to be a low/no-risk threat according to Symantec, and is spreading only modestly. While similar worms from the past have been a little less damaging, they were all indiscriminate in their judgment on music files, altering both legal and illegal music files alike. Such worms include Klez-F, Mylife-G, and the Scrambler. The masterminds of Deletemusic remain unknown. Speculation has it that the authors are mischief makers or vigilantes, although the music industry can’t be entirely ruled out either. Needless to say, caution is always better than cure.
