Due to the fact that Downadup and Conficker do not allow you to connect to Microsoft and a variety of security sites you must first download the Windows patch and the removal tool from another.
- Conficker is a worm that targets Microsoft Windows operating systems by taking advantage of several vulnerabilities. It is capable of targeting networking websites like Facebook, Skype, and Yahoo!
- If rebooting does not help -- it is possible that the ms08-067 patch either is not installed or has been patched by Conficker itself so will need re-installing. Once the identified machines have been scanned, cleaned and rebooted you will want to perform a couple more rounds of running NMAP to be certain there are no other infected machines online.
ETB
Is my computer infected with the Conficker worm?
Microsoft released a security update in October 2008 (MS08-067) to protect against Conficker.
If your computer is up to date with the latest security updates and your antivirus software is also up to date, you probably don't have the Conficker worm. Crysis warhead latest patch download.
Double-check that your computer is up to date by using the following tools:
- Run Windows Update and install updates.
- Download Microsoft Safety Scanner and scan your system. Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free downloadable security tool that provides on-demand scanning and helps remove viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It works with your existing antivirus software. It will expire 10 days after you download it.
- Learn how Windows Defender Offline can help detect and remove malicious and unwanted software, including rootkits.
If you can't download the Microsoft Safety Scanner or Windows Defender Offline, contact support at 1-866-PCSAFETY or 1-866-727-2338. This phone number is for virus and other security-related support. It is available 24 hours a day for customers in the U.S. and Canada. For support in other countries, visit Worldwide Computer Security Information.
Is it time to put Conficker in the history books? Is Conficker really a dud? The truth is, nobody knows. Conficker gained so much attention in part because of the sheer number of computers it was able to infect. But nobody knows for sure what Conficker can accomplish. However, at the time of this writing no Conficker-related catastrophes have surfaced and some think the threat never will. So as attention shifts away from Conficker, it's important to know where we stand against the world's most famous piece of malware.
How big is the Conficker threat?
The general consensus seems to be that approximately 3 million computers are infected on any given day. The number 15 million gets thrown around a lot as well, but that number includes computers that were infected and then scrubbed clean of the malware. Keep in mind that the actual number of infected computers is also very hard to ascertain since security experts can only count infected Internet protocol (IP) addresses and not individual computers, according to Roel Schouwenberg, a security expert with Kaspersky labs. Since an entire company could be behind one IP, the number of infected devices remains a bit of a mystery.
The Vietnamese security company Bkis (which offers the pie chart below, of infections by country) says approximately 2.2 million computers are currently infected with Conficker A and B, and about 1.2 million computers carry Conficker C, the latest version of the worm, according to reports. The Conficker C number is the most worrisome since that is the version that can most effectively update itself through p2p networking with no need to phone home for an update.
The world's biggest problem areas for Conficker infections are in Asia, Eastern Europe and South America, although there seems to be some disagreement on which countries are the hardest hit.
How important is Microsoft's Conficker Patch and who can get it?
Microsoft Conficker
Does Microsoft have the power to stop Conficker dead in its tracks? Common sense seems to say yes, because if everybody had Microsoft's Conficker patch the problem would be solved, right? Not so, says Schouwenberg. Even though Conficker-infected regions contain a high amount of computers with pirated Windows software, the blame should not be placed at Microsoft's feet.
Conficker Patch Download
Microsoft allows both pirate and genuine Windows users to download critical security updates. However, most pirate users have Windows' automatic updates turned off to avoid Microsoft's piracy detection tool. Pirate users could get the software from Microsoft's download center, but it's unknown how many users are actually doing that.
Another problem, Schouwenberg says, is that Internet service providers in problem regions are not as security conscious as they are in the United States. If the ISPs are not actively monitoring security on their networks and blocking the necessary ports that Conficker can sneak onto, then unpatched computers remain at risk.
But the Conficker patch and port blocking are not cure-alls. According to Schouwenburg, the security patch is most effective against Conficker A, but since Conficker has three main flavors (A, B and C), patches are not the only answer. As always, the best defense is to make sure your antivirus programs are up to date and to do a full security scan regularly. If you're worried that you might be infected, the Conficker Working Group has a simple test that can help.
Microsoft Conficker Patch Download
If you are a pirate Windows user, you have amnesty for critical downloads so get the Conficker patch as soon as possible. Remember, we may be forgetting about the worm, but Conficker's authors still have the capability to inflict harm. Whether that will happen is anybody's guess, but making sure your computer is secure is always the best policy.