What is Worm? — ExploitByte

Computer worm are malicious program that replicate, execute, and spread across the network connections independently without human interaction.

Most of the worms are created only to replicate and spread across a network, consuming available computing resources; however, some worms carry a payload to damage the host system.

Attackers use worm payload to install backdoors in infected computers, which turns them into zombies and creates botnet; these botnets can be used to carry further cyber attacks.

How Computer Worm Work?

Worms can be transmitted via software vulnerabilities. Or computer worms could arrive as attachments in spam emails or instant messages (IMs). Once opened, these files could provide a link to a malicious website or automatically download the computer worm. Once it’s installed, the worm silently goes to work and infects the machine without the user’s knowledge.

Worms can modify and delete files, and they can even inject additional malicious software onto a computer. Sometimes a computer worm’s purpose is only to make copies of itself over and over — depleting system resources, such as hard drive space or bandwidth, by overloading a shared network. In addition to wreaking havoc on a computer’s resources, worms can also steal data, install a backdoor, and allow a hacker to gain control over a computer and its system settings.

Stuxnet, one of the most notorious computer worms to date, consists of a worm component for propagation of the malware through the sharing of infected USB devices, as well as malware that targets supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, which are widely used in industrial environments, including power utilities, water supply services, sewage plants and elsewhere. Pure computer worms propagate themselves from infected systems to uninfected systems. This does not minimize the potential for damage from such computer worms.

An infected system may become unavailable or unreliable due to the computing overhead associated with propagation of the worm, while computer worms are also known to disrupt networking through saturation of network links with malicious traffic associated with worm propagation.

How is a Worm Different from a Virus?

Replicates on its own

A worm is a special type of malware that can replicate intself and use memory, but cannot attach itself to other programs.

Spreads Through the Infected Network

A worm takes advantage of file or information transport features on computer systems and spreads through the infected network automatically but a virus does not.

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How To Prevent Worm

Users should practice good cybersecurity hygiene to protect themselves against being infected with computer worms. Measures that will help prevent the threat of computer worms infections include:

• Keeping up to date with operating systems and all other software patches and updates will help reduce the risk due to newly discovered vulnerabilities.
• Using firewalls will help reduce access to systems by malicious software.
• Using antivirus software will help prevent malicious software from running.
• Being careful not to click on attachments or links in email or other messaging applications that may expose systems to malicious software.
• Encrypt files to protect sensitive data stored on computers, servers and mobile devices

Although some worms are designed to do nothing more than propagate themselves to new victim systems, most worms are associated with viruses, rootkits or other malicious software

Originally published at https://exploitbyte.com on March 29, 2020.