WMF virus attacks world wide computers 

Welcome New year and here is the new worm exploiting flaw in windows meta file. The hackers are exploiting different flaws in Windows. This time, they have exploited the flaw in windows metafile format.

Are you at risk of getting attacked? 

As per F-Secure, 99 percent of computers worldwide are vulnerable to an attack using the WMF flaw. Websense has discovered affected websites in the USA, Russia, Netherlands, UK, China and Japan. With this new exploit, WMF (windows metafile format) files are used to infect a computer. If you view the image or access it on your computer, you will get the infection.

The exploit affects Firefox, Internet Explorer, and any other browser that shows or downloads the file into the cache on the local computer. Any program like browser, email or IM which puts the image exploit onto your pc can originate the problem. The windows 98, windows ME, windows 2000, windows XP and Windows 2003 operating systems are vulnerable to this problem. Once the file is downloaded on your machine and windows handles it, the computer gets affected. Even the moving the mouse over image can affect the computer.

Solutions to the problems

Solution 1)
Run "regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\shimgvw.dll" This step will remove the entry of problematic DLL.

Solution 2)
http://www.grc.com/sn/notes-020.htm

The patch from Ilfak Guilfanov works nicely.

Microsoft is trying their level best to give the solution to this problem. Till Microsoft releases the solution, you can try the above 2 solutions. Even the antivirus software company F-Secure recommends unofficial patch.

Solution 3)
Use beta version of Windows OneCare to get the protection from wmf exploit. Here is the review,

http://www.timeatlas.com/mos/The_News/Security/Windows_OneCare_and_PC_Maintenance/

As per the test organized by independent organizations, 206 affected files were passed through virus shields from a number of vendors to check for the reliability of antivirus program. The trend Micro could not detect the affected files. However Symentec and Mcafee could detect the affected files.

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