Three-in-One Virus Zapper Released

Microsoft has released a three-in-one virus removal
tool to help users clean up from the recent Mydoom, Zindos and Doomjuice
worm attacks.

The clean-up tool,
released as a 120 kilobyte download, has been programmed to identify and zap the Mydoom.A, Mydoom.B,
Mydoom.E, Mydoom.F, Mydoom.G, Mydoom.J, Mydoom.L, Mydoom.O, Zindos.A,
Doomjuice.A and Doomjuice.B worms.

Once the tool has run, Microsoft said it would automatically check for
infection and remove any of the targeted worms it finds.

“If a machine
is infected with the Mydoom.B worm, the tool also provides the user with the
default version of the host’s file and sets the ‘read-only’ attribute for that
file,” the company said.

The worm also reopens certain ports to allow users to visit
previously blocked Microsoft and anti-virus Web sites.

Microsoft has previously released a zapper
for the destructive Blaster virus, but this is the first time the
free tool has been programmed to disinfect multiple attack vectors.

The newest three-in-one tool will not detect or remove malware that
exists on a system as a result of the backdoor component created by a Mydoom
variant, Microsoft explained. It also won’t delete any e-mail that contains
a Mydoom variant.

The tool is supported on Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second
Edition, Windows ME, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP. It will not run on
any version of Windows NT 4.0.

Microsoft is working on a long-term plan
to include worm-removal tools in a new feature called Microsoft
Update that’s on schedule for release by year’s end.

The plans include a complete revamp of Microsoft’s Software Update
Services (SUS), which will evolve into a new product called Windows Update
Services and will be shipped as a free component of the Windows Server. It
promises seamless update, scanning and installation capabilities for Windows
servers and desktops.