I think you may be under viral attack.. there is a new series of viruses(virii?) that seem to be exploiting a DCOM RPC hole... tries to download and run somoething that is called "msblast.exe".. sounds like YOUR system is choking on it.. which is a good/bad thing???... this is the description i see of one variant..
W32.Blaster.Worm is a worm that will exploit the DCOM RPC vulnerability using TCP port 135. It will attempt to download and run a file, msblast.exe.
Infection Length: 6,176 bytes
Systems Affected: Microsoft IIS, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP
Systems Not Affected: Linux, Macintosh, OS/2, UNIX
Wild:
* Number of infections: 0 - 49
* Number of sites: 0 - 2
* Geographical distribution: Low
* Threat containment: Easy
* Removal: Easy
Threat Metrics
Wild:
High
Damage:
Low
Distribution:
High
When W32.Blaster.Worm is executed, it will do the following:
1. Adds the value:
"windows auto update"="msblast.exe"
to the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
so that the worm runs when you start Windows.
2. Send data on TCP port 135 that may exploit the DCOM RPC vulnerabilty to allow the following actions to occur on vulnerable machine:
the worm to be download and run using the program tftp.
Symantec Security Response encourages all users and administrators to adhere to the following basic security "best practices":
* Turn off and remove unneeded services. By default, many operating systems install auxiliary services that are not critical, such as an FTP server, telnet, and a Web server. These services are avenues of attack. If they are removed, blended threats have less avenues of attack and you have fewer services to maintain through patch updates.
* If a blended threat exploits one or more network services, disable, or block access to, those services until a patch is applied.
* Always keep your patch levels up-to-date, especially on computers that host public services and are accessible through the firewall, such as HTTP, FTP, mail, and DNS services.
* Enforce a password policy. Complex passwords make it difficult to crack password files on compromised computers. This helps to prevent or limit damage when a computer is compromised.
* Configure your email server to block or remove email that contains file attachments that are commonly used to spread viruses, such as .vbs, .bat, .exe, .pif and .scr files.
* Isolate infected computers quickly to prevent further compromising your organization. Perform a forensic analysis and restore the computers using trusted media.
* Train employees not to open attachments unless they are expecting them. Also, do not execute software that is downloaded from the Internet unless it has been scanned for viruses. Simply visiting a compromised Web site can cause infection if certain browser vulnerabilities are not patched.
The following instructions pertain to all current and recent Symantec antivirus products, including the Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus product lines.
1. Disable System Restore (Windows Me/XP).
2. Update the virus definitions.
3. Run a full system scan and delete all the files detected as W32.Blaster.Worm.
4. Delete the value that was added to the registry.
For specific details on each of these steps, read the following instructions.
1. Disabling System Restore (Windows Me/XP)
If you are running Windows Me or Windows XP, we recommend that you temporarily turn off System Restore. Windows Me/XP uses this feature, which is enabled by default, to restore the files on your computer in case they become damaged. If a virus, worm, or Trojan infects a computer, System Restore may back up the virus, worm, or Trojan on the computer.
Windows prevents outside programs, including antivirus programs, from modifying System Restore. Therefore, antivirus programs or tools cannot remove threats in the System Restore folder. As a result, System Restore has the potential of restoring an infected file on your computer, even after you have cleaned the infected files from all the other locations.
Also, a virus scan may detect a threat in the System Restore folder even though you have removed the threat.
For instructions on how to turn off System Restore, read your Windows documentation, or one of the following articles:
* "How to disable or enable Windows Me System Restore"
* "How to turn off or turn on Windows XP System Restore"
For additional information, and an alternative to disabling Windows Me System Restore, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article, "Antivirus Tools Cannot Clean Infected Files in the _Restore Folder," Article ID: Q263455.
2. Updating the virus definitions
Symantec Security Response fully tests all the virus definitions for quality assurance before they are posted to our servers. There are two ways to obtain the most recent virus definitions:
* Running LiveUpdate, which is the easiest way to obtain virus definitions: These virus definitions are posted to the LiveUpdate servers once each week (usually on Wednesdays), unless there is a major virus outbreak. To determine whether definitions for this threat are available by LiveUpdate, refer to the Virus Definitions (LiveUpdate).
* Downloading the definitions using the Intelligent Updater: The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are posted on U.S. business days (Monday through Friday). You should download the definitions from the Symantec Security Response Web site and manually install them. To determine whether definitions for this threat are available by the Intelligent Updater, refer to the Virus Definitions (Intelligent Updater).
The Intelligent Updater virus definitions are available: Read "How to update virus definition files using the Intelligent Updater" for detailed instructions.
3. Scanning for and deleting the infected files
1. Start your Symantec antivirus program and make sure that it is configured to scan all the files.
* For Norton AntiVirus consumer products: Read the document, "How to configure Norton AntiVirus to scan all files."
* For Symantec AntiVirus Enterprise products: Read the document, "How to verify that a Symantec Corporate antivirus product is set to scan all files."
2. Run a full system scan.
3. If any files are detected as infected with W32.Blaster.Worm, click Delete.
4. Deleting the value from the registry
CAUTION: Symantec strongly recommends that you back up the registry before making any changes to it. Incorrect changes to the registry can result in permanent data loss or corrupted files. Modify the specified keys only. Read the document, "How to make a backup of the Windows registry," for instructions.
1. Click Start, and then click Run. (The Run dialog box appears.)
2. Type regedit
Then click OK. (The Registry Editor opens.)
3. Navigate to the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
4. In the right pane, delete the value:
"windows auto update"="msblast.exe"
5. Exit the Registry Editor.
