Virus Writers Are Picking up New Microsoft Attack

The Windows attack used by a recently discovered worm is being picked up by other virus writers and will soon become much more widespread, according to security vendor Eset.

Eset reported Thursday that two new families of malicious software have popped up, both of which exploit a vulnerability in the way Windows processes .link files, used to provide shortcuts to other files on the system.

The vulnerability was first exploited by the Stuxnet worm, discovered on computer systems in Iran last month. Highly sophisticated, Stuxnet targets systems running Siemens industrial control system management software. The worm steals SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) project files from Siemens' computer systems.

Siemens issued a Security Update for its customers on Thursday, but Microsoft has yet to patch the Windows bug that permits the worm to spread.

The newly discovered malware is "far less sophisticated" than Stuxnet and "suggests bottom feeders seizing on techniques developed by others," said Eset researcher Pierre-Marc Bureau, writing in a blog post.

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