Video File Viruses WMVDownloader.A and WMVDownloader.B Debut

- Video files appear that download malicious application when they are run -

Virus Alerts, by Panda Software (http://www.pandasoftware.com)

MADRID, January 10, 2005 - PandaLabs has detected the appearance of two newTrojans, Trj/WmvDownloader.A and Trj/WmvDownloader.B, which are spreading through P2P networks in video files.

These Trojans take advantage of the new technology incorporated in Microsoft Windows Media player called Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM), designed to protect the intellectual property rights of multimedia content.

When a user tries to play a protectedWindows media file, this technology demands a valid license. If the licenseis not stored on the computer, the application will look for it on the Internet, so that the user can acquire it directly or buy it.

This new technology is incorporated through the Windows XP Service Pack 2 + WindowsMedia Player 10 update.

The video files infected by these Trojans have a .wmv extension and are protected by licenses, supposedly issued by the companies overpeer (forTrj/WmvDownloader.A), or protectedmedia (for Trj/WmvDownloader.B).

If theuser runs a video file that is infected by one of these Trojans, they pretend to download the corresponding license from certain web pages.

However, what they actually do is redirect the user to other Internetaddresses from which they download a large number adware (programs that display advertisements on screen), spyware, dialers (applications that dial-up high rate toll numbers) and other viruses.

Below are some examples of the malicious programs and viruses these Trojans download:
Adware/Funweb
Adware/MydailyHoroscope
Adware/MyWay
Adware/MyWebSearch
Adware/Nsupdate
Adware/PowerScan
Adware/Twain-Tech
Dialer Generic
Dialer.NO
Spyware.AdClicker
Spyware/BetterInet
Spyware/ISTbar
Trj/Downloader.GK

Even though these Trojans have been detected in video files with extremely variable names which can be downloaded through P2P networks like KaZaA or eMule, bear in mind that they can also be distributed through other means, such as files attached to email messages, FTP or Internet downloads, floppy disks, CD-ROM, etc.

Panda Software has made the corresponding updates to its anti-malware solutions available to its clients to detect and disinfect any video file protected by the licenses used by Trj/WmvDownloader.A andTrj/WmvDownloader.B to carry out their malicious actions.

Similarly, thePanda Software solutions protect users against the malware that these Trojans try to install on computers.

For further information about Trj/WmvDownloader.A, Trj/WmvDownloader.B or the malicious programs and viruses these Trojans try to download, visitPanda Software's Virus Encyclopedia at:http://www.pandasoftware.com/virus_info/encyclopedia/