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 "Worm" Crawls Into The KaZaA Network
Posted on 18 May 2002
http://www.net-security.org/press.php?id=785

The KaZaA file exchange network takes its turn as a virus victim.

Kaspersky Labs, an international data-security software developer, announces 
the detection of the network worm "Worm.Kazaa.Benjamin" - the first malicious 
program to spread through the KaZaA file exchange network.

The KaZaA network is one of the most popular file exchange networks using 
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology. Millions of people from all around the world are 
active users of the network that allows them to quickly dig up files they seek 
(such as MP3 files) and give other users access to data contained on their own 
computers.

On an infected computer "Benjamin" creates a directory accessible to other 
users of the KaZaA network and regularly copies itself into this directory 
under a multitude of different names, the amount of which counts several 
thousand. When a network user conducts a search for a file under a name 
corresponding with one the worm's pseudonyms the unsuspecting user is given the 
chance to download it from the infected computer. Thus, this is how Benjamin 
spreads itself through the KaZaA network. In addition to eating up free disk 
space Benjamin takes additional actions: under the name of the infected 
computer's owner it opens an anonymous web site from which it displays 
advertising banners. This way Benjamin's creator profits by the resulting 
increase in advertising displays.

Benjamin is not the first known worm to exploit public access P2P file exchange 
networks. Previously the Gnutella file exchange network fell victim to virus 
creators. "This event once again demonstrates the necessity to filter all 
incoming files for viruses, regardless of how well protected this or any other 
network is. Before use all data should be run through a mandatory check for 
virus code using the latest virus database update," commented Denis Zenkin, 
Kaspersky Labs Head of Corporate Communications.

The defense against Benjamin has already been added to the Kaspersky Anti-Virus 
database.

More detailed information covering "Worm.Kazaa.Benjamin" can be accessed in the 
Kaspersky Virus Encyclopedia (www.viruslist.com).

http://www.net-security.org/press.php?id=785


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