Newer worms?

i received 2 e-mails from SBC yahoo regarding some new worm threats. one is W32Gaobot, and the other is (i think) Agobot.

i called yahoo and the threats are real.

i have AVG, NAV, Zonealarm, Adaware and Spybot--all are up to date. i have done the windows security patch--in fact, it was done on 4/15, just 2 days after the threat emerged.

my scans show no infections.

is it possible that i may have the infection and not know?
though my scans are negative, is it prudent to download the removal tool as a double-check?

thanks,
Bob

It is possible. These things emerge quickly enough that your Virus defs may not be totally up to date. ANother things, is that some of these seek to disable AV programs and/or disable security. It is always possible.

Probability is another story. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

thanks...i think! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

i think i will run another scan, and perhaps go through the hassle of using the removal tool. my definitions show these worms are covered, but if they have disabled my defenses...darn.

Bob

There's been a worm called sasser or something taking down fifteen pcs here in the campus dorms... A software firewall and an up to date anti-virus seemed to have saved me.
To avoid getting that thing, MS released a patch:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=3549EA9E-DA3F-43B9-A4F1-AF243B6168F3

Gaobot removal tool

Sasser (A, B & C) removal tool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I would not worry about it. I got a similar email from yahoo and I know my computer is fine. It seemed like more of a reminder notice to all yahoo users to take general precautions then anything else.

Yahoo is the most used website on the internet, more then ebay, at least among alexa users. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Someone with alexa on their computer is just as likely to carry a few worms or get them from a stray email, so I can see how a friendly reminder by yahoo would be a good thing.


Here are the alexa stats... yahoo is number one, and of the people who use it, 38% use the mail service.

http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?q=&url=http://www.yahoo.com

You would know if traffic was getting through if zonealarm alerted you or somehow zonealarm was disabled by the worm, which isn't that likely either. Road Runner also sends out periodic reminders on new worms as well.

thanks, stockwiz.

i made sure EVERYTHING is up-to-date, re-scanned, and even checked to make sure my programs have the definitions of the newer threats. everything seems fine.

Bob