Sasser Worm Generating Havoc

The Sasser worm and its variants are currently generating havoc across the Internet. Many businesses and organizations have been badly hit and the damage continues to grow. Unlike other worms that propagate via email, Sasser spreads by scanning randomly selected IP addresses for unpatched systems that are vulnerable to the worm. In other words, simply connecting to the Internet can infect your computer.



Sasser exploits the LSASS vulnerability in Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems. Although the worm cannot infect Windows 9x systems, it can still run on them and thereby infect other vulnerable systems.

In order to protect your computer from Sasser it is necessary to enable a firewall and ensure that the required update is downloaded and installed. You should also check that the worm is not already present on your system.

For detailed information about combating the Sasser worm, please access the following Internet resources:

What You Should Know About the Sasser Worm and Its Variants

Mikes VirusInfo - Sasser worm

Symantec W32.Sasser Removal Tool

In order to minimize the potential damage caused by this worm, it is important that all responsible computer users take steps to protect their systems. Also, if you are in a position to help a less experienced friend to protect her or his system, please take the time to do so.

Write-up by Brett M. Christensen