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RSS feedsAnother virus aimed at the cluster of current 64-bit computer users has been detected by antivirus specialists.
Written in AMD 64-bit assembly code, the Shruggle virus tries to infect Windows Portable Executable (PE) files on AMD systems. Once on a system it searches for PE files and attaches itself to them.
Shruggle is similar in design to Rugrat, the first 64-bit virus. It is not known at this point if the author of both pieces of malicious code is the same person.
"It's more of a proof of concept and isn't really a threat," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
"32-bit viruses are going to be far more common for a while, and there aren't the 64-bit systems for this to spread. These viruses have a tougher time spreading than those aimed at 32-bit systems. Perhaps it is a taste of things to come, however."
Although Shruggle does not infect standard 32-bit systems, it will function on a 32-bit computer running 64-bit emulation software.
Symantec, which discoverd the virus, said that it was identified on a newsgroup and that fewer than 50 cases have been reported.
See also:
Malicious code makes a goulash of Hungarian president's website 28 Oct 2004
Symantec chairman and CEO John W. Thompson tells vnunet.com about the company's strategy, and why he's not bothered about Microsoft's entry into the market 06 Sep 2004
'Rugrat', a low-risk direct-action infector with no payload, reported in the wild 28 May 2004
The latest wave of cyber-crimes and acts of vandalism have demonstrated once again that many systems are still vulnerable to attack. 15 Apr 2004All Enterprise Security Technology
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