Types of Malware: Viruses and Worms
Malware is the official word for any harmful code (such as a worm or a virus) designed to infect and harm another person’s computer system, regardless of how it attacks the victim’s files or infiltrates the system. A virus and a worm are malicious pieces of code that proliferate in the computer system of a victim, much like a virus does in the human body’s system.
Viruses vs Worms: Hidden Threats of the Digital World
Viruses and worms are both types of malware, although they work and spread in different ways. To spread, a virus requires human intervention. They rely on infected files being executed by users or infected files being shared with others via techniques like email attachments or infected USB devices. Worms, on the other hand, self-replicate and spread without user intervention. They can spread to other devices by exploiting vulnerabilities in computer networks, email systems, or other software.
Viruses: Understanding the Invisible Threats
A virus is a sort of malware that attaches itself to a legitimate program or file, making the original program or file a “host” for the virus. The virus becomes active and can execute its malicious code when a user runs or opens the infected host file. Viruses usually have a payload, which is the malicious activity or code that is executed once the virus is active. This payload can range from causing file corruption to stealing data or interfering with system functionality. Viruses can damage a system, but their primary goal is to replicate and spread to other files and systems.
Worms: The Silent Spreaders in Cyberspace
Worms, on the other hand, are a sort of malware that may operate independently without being attached to a host file. They are self-contained programs that may spread and execute themselves. Worms, like viruses, can carry payloads, but their primary goal is to proliferate and infect as many devices as possible. They can transport a variety of payloads, such as backdoors for remote access or other malware. Unlike viruses, which propagate through user actions, worms are built to spread quickly and widely across networks and devices.
Destruction Unleashed: The Menace of Viruses and Worms
There are various methods by which a virus or worm could damage your computer, cellphone, or network; some of the most frequent are:
Data Corruption: Some viruses are programmed to damage or erase files on an infected system, resulting in data loss.
System Disruption: Certain viruses seek to interrupt regular computer function by creating crashes, decreasing performance, or showing unwelcome messages.
Data Theft: Some viruses are designed to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial data, or personal information, and send it to an attacker-controlled remote server.
Backdoor Installation: A virus can install a backdoor or remote access program, granting an attacker unauthorized access to the infected system and potentially leading to future compromises.
Botnet Recruiment: Viruses can be used to enroll infected computers into a botnet, which is a network of hacked devices controlled by cybercriminals for a variety of nefarious operations.
Rapid Spread: Worms are extremely efficient at spreading across networks and devices, frequently exploiting flaws in network services or software. This can result in a widespread and quick infection of several PCs.
Network Congestion: The high volume of network traffic created by worm infections can congest networks, resulting in slow or interrupted internet connectivity and poor network performance.
Resource Consumption: Worms can use system resources such as CPU and bandwidth, resulting in performance deterioration and potential system breakdowns.
Payload: Worms can carry payloads such as backdoors for remote access or other malware. These payloads can be utilized to carry out additional malicious actions or to undermine the security of the compromised computer.
Notorious Examples of Viruses and Worms
Mydoom: Mydoom (also known as Novarg, W32.MyDoom@mm, Shimgapi, and Mimail.R) was a prolific worm that spread through email and peer-to-peer networks. After the victim clicks on the attachment, the worm gets inside their operating system and sends emails to all the victim’s contacts. MyDoom adds infected computers to a botnet and then carries out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. When the worm takes control over the victim’s OS, it then opens various ports and provides a backdoor to invite even more malware in.
Slammer (SQL Slammer): Slammer targeted vulnerabilities in Microsoft SQL Server and spread rapidly, causing widespread network congestion. SQL Slammer was an amazing 376 bytes of malicious code. It attempted to connect to every computer it could find over MS-SQL UDP port 1434. It didn’t care if the computer it was connecting to was running SQL or not. It just blasted its buffer-overflow-abusing code against every computer it found.
Sasser: Sasser exploited a Windows port vulnerability to infect a large number of systems, causing frequent system restarts. This worm was named Sasser because it spreads by exploiting a buffer overflow in the component known as LSASS (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service) on the affected operating systems. Once on a machine, the worm scans different ranges of IP addresses and connects to victims’ computers primarily through TCP port 445
Blaster (MSBlast): The Blaster worm targeted a Windows XP and Windows 2000 vulnerability, causing infected systems to repeatedly reboot and slowing down network traffic. The worm spreads by exploiting a buffer overflow. This allowed the worm to spread without users opening attachments simply by spamming itself to large numbers of random IP addresses.
Conficker: Conficker was a highly sophisticated worm that exploited Windows OS vulnerabilities to create a massive botnet, which could be used for various malicious purposes. The Conficker worm infected millions of computers including government, business and home computers in over 190 countries, making it the largest known computer worm infection since the 2003 SQL Slammer worm
Viruses and worms, frequently exploit security flaws and defects, resulting in a slew of issues for the user, such as slower functioning, a continually running hard drive, corrupted files, and annoying ad pop-ups (even while the user is offline). As a result, it is critical to stay current on all OS and program updates and patches. Unfortunately, staying up to date on changes and being cautious isn’t enough. There are numerous exploits and vectors available for introducing worms and viruses into a network or onto your computer or smartphone.
To fight against these dangers, it is critical to use strong cybersecurity measures such as antivirus software, keeping software up to date, and practicing safe online habits. Backups are also necessary for recovering from potential infections and data loss.