[pchelpers] News:New virus attacks AMD processors

By Tom Sanders 
<http://www.pcauthority.com.au/team.aspx?PID=97070&CIID=58850&SIID=2> 
     28 August 2006 03:10PM  
Security researchers at Symantec have discovered a new proof of concept 
virus that targets processors AMD rather than operating systems.

The worm comes in two versions, targeting 32-bit and 64-bit processors 
from AMD. Symantec refers to the online pests as w32.bounds and 
w64.bounds. Because it involves proof of concept code, both viruses are 
rated as low level threats.

Although at this point it concerns harmless proof of concept code, the 
virus could be used as a starting point for creating malware that 
affects computers regardless of the operating system that they run, 
cautioned Vincent Weafer, senior director of Symantec's Security 
Response Group.

"If I can get to the processor level, potentially I can really start 
tying myself into the core hardware. I can potentially evade some of the 
kernel protection and user protection. There is an attraction to virus 
writers to get to the lowest level possible," Weafer said.


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