New Windows Worm Spreads by Attacking Weak Passwords

Computerworld: Security experts at Microsoft and F-Secure say that a new piece of malware called “Morto” is infecting corporate networks. The worm spreads via the remote access software known as Remote Desktop Protocol that’s built in to Windows. Infected PCs attempt to login to other PCs on the network using a list of common passwords, like “password,” “123456” and “abc123.” When it finds a system with a weak password, Morto copies itself to that PC and then looks for more victims.

Experts surmise that the ultimate goal of the worm may be denial-of-service attacks. “This particular worm highlights the importance of setting strong system passwords,” added Microsoft’s Hil Gradascevic. “The ability of attackers to exploit weak passwords shouldn’t be underestimated.”