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Computer virus hits Google
27/07/2004 01:45 - (SA)
Marcelo Prince
New York - A new computer virus spread quickly on Monday and launched an attack against Google and other internet search sites, preventing some users from getting answers to search requests.
The virus, a variant of the MyDoom attack, spread via e-mail and infected thousands of computers, internet security experts said. It commands victims to send queries to Google and other search sites to find additional e-mail addresses to target.
The flood of requests caused some search engines to slow down, while others were at times unable to deliver search results. At Google, visitors were able to get on to its home page, but some received error messages reading: "Server Error. The service you requested is not available at this time."
Google spokesperson David Krane said in an e-mail that the virus caused "slowness for a short period of time" for most users, but a "small percentage" of users were affected for a longer period. He said normal service would be restored shortly.
The attack highlights the risks that many internet companies face from proliferating cybercrime and comes at an inopportune time for Google. The company is preparing for an initial public offering. On Monday, Google set terms for the deal, which put the value of the company at between $29bn and $36bn.
The other search sites targeted were Yahoo Search and AltaVista, both units of Yahoo Inc. (YHOO), and Lycos, a unit of Terra Networks SA (TRLY). Yahoo spokesperson Brian Nelson said the attack was "limited".
Lycos spokesperson Ana Sanchez said the company's search engine also had been affected by the MyDoom virus.
Keynote Systems Inc. (KEYN), which measures Web site performance, said the virus, dubbed MyDoom.o, is affecting the search sites "in a sporadic but serious way" and causing some slowness and reliability problems for the internet more broadly.
Viruses that query search engines have surfaced in the past, but haven't caused much disruption, said Craig Schmugar, virus research manager at McAfee Inc. (MFE).
"We've never seen Google be affected by a virus using this approach before, but we haven't seen a virus be so prevalent using this approach either," he said. "Our conservative estimate is tens of thousands of machines are affected."
The original MyDoom virus emerged in January. It used infected machines to overwhelm the Web site of SCO Group Inc. (SCOX), a Lindon, Utah, software company embroiled in legal disputes with supporters of the Linux operating system.
Sam Curry, vice president of eTrust Security Management for Computer Associates International Inc. (CA), said MyDoom.o was designed to spread aggressively, but was probably not created as an explicit attack on search sites.
The search-engine queries that MyDoom.o generates are just one tool for seeking out potential new victims, he said. In addition to e-mail, the malicious program also tries to spread through file shares and peer-to-peer networks. It also leaves a back door that hackers can use to take control of an infected PC.
"They wrote the worm so effectively it has become a denial of service attack," he said. "It's almost as if they didn't plan for success."
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