Security researchers at antivirus vendor Panda Security have discovered an application that turns executable files into a worm that can spread and cause damage on infected machines.
The tool is so easy to use that researchers say very little technical knowledge is needed to pull off a successful attack. The worm can wreak havoc on an infected machine by disabling the Windows Task Manager, folder options and the system’s browser.
PandaLabs researcher Oscar Anduiza said the tool has a number of features that can change the effectiveness and type of worm generated from the executable file. A hacker using the tool can also easily choose the infection date of the worm.
“The worms can be configured to display a message when they are run or activate themselves when Windows is started,” Anduiza said in a PandaLabs blog post.
