Turner
Broadcasting System, which owns
CNN, has been hit
by a worm that could have been detected if the company had updated its antivirus
software.
According to
Symantec's
website, the
Rinbot
worm opens a back door in affected networks and connects to an IRC server,
allowing an attacker to send commands to the server.
The worm spreads using known vulnerabilities in Windows software, including a
flaw in Symantec's antivirus software which the security company has patched.
"Only CNN can know what really happened inside its organisation," Graham
Cluley, senior technology consultant at
Sophos, told
vnunet.com.
"We do know that Delbot, also known as Rinbot, exploits a vulnerability in
Symantec's security software, and it is possible that this was a factor in the
media company becoming infected."
Cluley said that as hackers become more financially motivated, and take more
advantage of security vulnerabilities in their attempt to infect PCs, firms need
to ensure that fixes are rolled out as soon as possible.
"Even though Symantec issued a fix for the flaw in its software last year,
some companies experience difficulties keeping up-to-date on patches and rolling
them out across all of the computers on their network," he said.
CNN was famously hit by another known security flaw back in 2005, when the
Zotob worm infected its systems and the breach was reported live on air.
However, the Rinbot botnet is not thought to be a threat to most users, who
will be protected against it by now.
"It is possible that some of the media reports have overinflated the impact
of the worm," said Cluley.
"One tabloid thought the story was worthy of headline front page news
alongside a story about Charlotte Church's pregnancy!"
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