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Worm Infiltrates Kazaa File-Swapping Network

By Adam Creed, Newsbytes
MOSCOW, RUSSIA,
20 May 2002, 5:01 AM CST

File swappers logged on to the Kazaa peer-to-peer (P2P) network may download more than they bargained for, according to an anti-virus company's report of a new worm that is spreading over Kazaa.

Among the malicious features of "Worm.Kazaa.Benjamin" is its creation of a Web site in the infected computer's name filled with banner advertising.

Benjamin uses each infected computer to spread to more Kazaa users, Kaspersky Labs said Sunday. The worm creates a directory on each infected PC that is visible to other users of the P2P network.

Within that directory lives multiple copies of the worm under several thousand different names, the anti-virus firm said in an advisory.

When another Kazaa user looks for files that match any of the different names, they could unwittingly begin downloading the virus from the infected computer. Benjamin can then spread to other network users.

Kaspersky Labs said the worm also sets up an anonymous Web site for each infected PC. The site makes money for the virus creator from advertising banners, according to the advisory.

Market research firm Redshift recently estimated Kazaa on average had 1.4 million users logged on at any given time during April.

More information about "Worm.Kazaa.Benjamin" is at http://www.viruslist.com .

Reported By Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com .

05:01 CST

(20020520/WIRES TOP, ONLINE, PC, LEGAL/KAZAA/PHOTO)

© 2002 The Washington Post Company

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