Skype Alert! - w32.Ramex.A, or, w32.Pykspa.D VIRUS
Firstly, I have to apologise for not putting out this virus information i personally experienced about 24 hours ago as i was on my way out.
Just to inform all you whom are using Skype, there's a virus - named, w32/Ramex.A - going around that accesses your contacts list and sends out chat messages to all of them, These chat messages contain web links that may infect your computer if clicked.
So, if you receive a chat message from someone you know, make sure the messages are not written in a way that is uncharacteristic of that person, and be sure not to click the web links sent.
The chat message may be along the following lines :
(devil)
(happy)
(rofl)
a ?
haha lol
hey
how are u ? :)
I used photoshop and edited it
look
look what crazy photo Tiffany sent to me,looks cool
now u populr
oh sry not for u
oops sorry please don't look there :S
ops
really funny
sky
this (happy) sexy one
u happy ?
what ur friend name wich is in photo ?
where I put ur photo :D
you checked ?
your photos looks realy nice
SOLUTION
Normal users - update your antivirus software virus definitions and run a full system scan
Expert users -
- Restart the PC in safe mode
- Run regedit
- Go to HKLM/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/runonce find entry with mshtmldat32.exe. Delete this entry.
- Go to Windows\System32 directory and delete following files: wndrivs32.exe, mshtmldat32.exe, winlgcvers.exe, sdrivew32.exe
- Go to windows/system32/drivers/etc
- Find file hosts
- Open it with notepad, ctrl+a and delete all entries (this will resume your antivirus updates), save, close.
- Restart the PC.
I ran the 'expert users' mode and didn't find any malicious files.
ed
Comments
Hello Ed,
I use the skype phone, does this affect this too?
Dave.
also thankyou about the warning....Luckily I dont know how to use skype talk.
Thanks for appreciating my little effort Chez, especially since it is not even relevant to you.
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for the info. I didn't know that. I'll keep a watch on my external drives now.
Hey Dave,
I don't really know if the virus affects skype phones. What i do know is that it affects systems via 'chat messages'. So long as skype isn't on your system, or you don't have any contacts, i wouldn't think it would affect you. Perhaps other voxers could help here.
Hi Jarod,
You're welcome Jarod.
I suppose the speed at which viruses spread is negatively correlated with the degree of empathy and the speed at which this causes the dissemination of helpful information.i.e. the greater the empathy, the lesser the virus. Viruses cannot take full advantage of fibre optics if empathy amongst us is way above average. Interesting thought eh. Thanks for spreading the word Jarod.