Virus Targets MMO Gamers

Time to update those virus scanners.

Microsoft’s latest Security Intelligence Report, released yesterday, cited the self propagating, data mining worm Taterf as one of the major emerging threats, with a rise of 156% in the last six months.  The virus specifically targets users of MMORPGs, and along with keylogging, packet sniffing, and other assorted shenanigans, it attempts to determine your MMO login details.

The report had this to say about the virus:

Taterf, with detections up 156 percent since the second half of 2008, targets massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). These attacks rely less on social engineering to spread, and more on access to unsecured file shares and removable storage volumes — both of which are often plentiful in the enterprise. Taterf’s impressive growth underscores the need for organizations to develop guidelines for removable drives (such as thumb drives) and evaluate how connections are made to outside machines.

As usual in the fight against viruses, the best offense is a good defense.  Be sure to keep those virus/malware scanners running and up to date.  Worried you’re already infected?  Grab Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool.  And cross your fingers.