Fergie's Tech Blog

Update: Virus writers already targeting MS Vista

John Leyden writes in The Register:

Virus writers have created proof of concept viruses targeting the scripting language behind prototype versions of Vista, the next version of Windows. An Austrian virus writer has published five simple viruses targeting Microsoft Command Shell (MSH), the command line interface and scripting language, in a virus writing magazine. None of these pieces of malware have been named as yet.

As MSH (codenamed 'Monad') is scheduled to ship as the default shell for Windows Vista (which was released in beta form last week), these five items of malware could be classified as the first viruses for Windows Vista. However anti-virus firm F-Secure is careful to note that it's still uncertain whether or not MSH will ship with Vista or not. MSH is a replacement for shells such as cmd.exe and command.com and although currently slated for inclusion in Vista it may end up in products such as the next version of Microsoft Exchange instead.

A new scripting tool targeted by a virus writer will not be part of Windows Vista, the next Windows client release, Microsoft announced Friday.

Instead, the software maker is looking at delivering the command-line shell tool, code-named Monad, as part of its next major server operating system release, a Microsoft representative said. That release, code-named Longhorn Server, is due in 2007.

"Monad will not be included in the final version of Windows Vista," Stephen Toulouse, a program manager in Microsoft's security group, said in a blog posting. "So these potential viruses do not affect Windows Vista."

posted by Fergie @ 8/05/2005 03:30:00 PM