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'Goner' E-Mail Worm Strikes Hard
Reuters
10:50 a.m. Dec. 4, 2001 PST

SAN FRANCISCO -- A new computer worm named "Goner" was spreading quickly through 
corporate and personal e-mail inboxes Tuesday, deleting system files and clogging 
networks in what could be the biggest outbreak since last year's "Love Letter" virus, 
security software vendors said.

The worm, a virus that propagates itself to other computers through the Internet or 
other networks, is affecting users of Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express, said 
Ian Hameroff, business manager of security solutions at Computer Associates 
International Inc.

People using ICQ instant messenger and Internet Relay Chat also are susceptible to the 
worm because files can be transferred across those networks, Hameroff said.

Researchers estimated thousands of computers had been infected by the worm, which is 
believed to have originated in France, according to April Goostree, virus research 
manager at McAfee.com.

"This is at outbreak status, which is very rare," Goostree said. "The last outbreak we 
had was 'Love Letter' in May 2000."

A virus is given outbreak status by McAfee.com if it is determined to be spreading 
quickly and affecting large corporate networks as well as individual computer users, 
Goostree said.

The Goner worm arrives in an attachment masquerading as a screensaver, with an e-mail 
subject line of "Hi" and text that says: "How are you? When I saw this screen saver, I 
immediately thought about you I am in a harry (sic), I promise you will love it!"

Once the user clicks on the attachment, the worm sends itself to everyone in the 
user's e-mail address book, tries to close programs that are running and deletes 
certain system files, including firewall and anti-virus software, said Hameroff.

Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited.


http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,48837,00.html

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