Nasty "Duqu" Worm Exploits Same Microsoft Office Bug as Stuxnet

Customers are at high risk after a gaping hole was found in MSO's security

If you just received a Word document from a colleague, don't open it until you verify they really sent it. A new worm is sweeping the globe and it hides inside innocent-looking Word documents, waiting to strike via a hitherto unknown vulnerability.

I. Duqu Worm Taps Microsoft Vulnerability, Proliferates

The "Duqu" worm is currently sweeping corporate networks worldwide, seeking to infect as many machines as possible in what appears to be an effort to target power plants, oil refineries and pipelines.

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) revealed this week that Duqu uses similar code to the Stuxnet worm, which crippled Iranian nuclear power computer systems in 2010. Many have voiced suspicions that U.S. defense or intelligence agencies were behind Stuxnet, but it appears extreme unlikely that the U.S. government had anything to do with Duqu. In fact, Duqu appears to be targeting U.S. allies.

The worm exploits a hitherto-unknown zero-day flaw in Microsoft Office and the Windows operating system. When the victim receives and opens an infected Word document -- which appears entirely normal -- the worm installs itself on their machines and takes control of the system.

The worm then proceeds to propogate, by opening your contacts lists in programs like Thunderbird and Outlook and then emailing all of your contacts infected documents.
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