Microsoft Says Windows Flaw Could Bring Worm Attack
"The exploits that Microsoft found were found on systems running their Microsoft security software. This is how they became aware of it," he said. "It is a successful attack, but it is not spreading like a worm at this point."
However, security vendor Symantec thinks this is likely to happen.
"Given the nature of this vulnerability, the number of vulnerable systems, and the fact that it is already being exploited in the wild, the chances of a worm and/or bots leveraging this issue are extremely high," Symantec said Thursday in an alert on its Web site.
Although the attack code is used only in very targeted attacks, it could become a more widespread problem, said Marc Maiffret, director of professional services with The DigiTrust Group. "It will really depend on whether or not someone wants to cause a bit of chaos and make a ... name for themselves," he said via instant message. "The reality is that bad guys do not like worms because they cause more people to patch."
