It had to happen eventually. It's being reported that there is a worm attacking users computers through KaZaA. The question arises "Is this something that some idiot dreamed up or is this something that was planted by the RIAA or IFPI?

The KaZaA file exchange network takes its turn as a virus victim.

Kaspersky Labs, an international data-security software developer, announces the detection of the network worm "Worm.Kazaa.Benjamin" - the first malicious program to spread through the KaZaA file exchange network.

The KaZaA network is one of the most popular file exchange networks using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) technology. Millions of people from all around the world are active users of the network that allows them to quickly dig up files they seek (such as MP3 files) and give other users access to data contained on their own computers.

On an infected computer "Benjamin" creates a directory accessible to other users of the KaZaA network and regularly copies itself into this directory under a multitude of different names, the amount of which counts several thousand. When a network user conducts a search for a file under a name corresponding with one the worm's pseudonyms the unsuspecting user is given the chance to download it from the infected computer. Thus, this is how Benjamin spreads itself through the KaZaA network.

In addition to eating up free disk space Benjamin takes additional actions: under the name of the infected computer's owner it opens an anonymous web site from which it displays advertising banners. This way Benjamin's creator profits by the resulting increase in advertising displays.

"Benjamin" is not the first known worm to exploit public access P2P file exchange networks. Previously the Gnutella file exchange network fell victim to virus creators. "This event once again demonstrates the necessity to filter all incoming files for viruses, regardless of how well protected this or any other network is. Before use all data should be run through a mandatory check for virus code using the latest virus database update," commented Denis Zenkin, Kaspersky Labs Head of Corporate Communications.

The defense against Benjamin is has already been added to the Kaspersky Anti-Virus database.

More detailed information covering "Worm.Kazaa.Benjamin" can be accessed in the Kaspersky Virus Encyclopedia.

Kaspersky

hahaha, suck it kazaa users! suck it!

I never bothered to use kazaa. I used to use morpheus, then morpheus went crappy. Now I don't tell anyone what I use

Being a Kazza user, I am not to happy lately with the way Kazza manages it's bussiness. Spyware, talks of subscription services without it, and now worms that force even more ads on users. Kazza better watch it's step it's pushing the limit.

Hail Mp3!!!

If things keep going this way, Fasttrack will be running out of users soon.

WinMX all the way..

Perhaps this "worm" was the RIAA's retaliation for Kazaa's recent proposal to have artists paid directly instead of money being filtered through the bottomless pit otherwise known as the RIAA?

BWUHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I doubt it has anything to do with the RIAA. They can't even devise a copy-protection scheme that a twelve year old couldn't crack, much less a worm. Of course this is sort of the risk taken when dealing with peer to peer networks.

get kazaa lite (kazaa w/o spyware) www.kazaalite.com
RIAA SUCKS

Well, I can agree partly that the RIAA is behind it. However, doubts circulate because if word ever got out that the RIAA was behind the worm they probably wouldn't have a good reputation anymore in congress.

Hail Mp3!!!

No space between the "."" and the "Im". The script thinks its a link.....

you guys are f#king morons, just use kazaa lite MORONS

What would make a difference if you were using Kazaa Lite or the regular software against this worm? Only difference I know of between the two is spyware. I do have Grokster (spyware-removed!), a different FastTrack filesharing program, and I'm sure it's just as vulnerable. Although I only use it when I can't find anything on WinMX.

This time it was an annoying worm. But next time it might be alot worse. Next time it could send a list of all percived illegal files to the authorities. This time I dont belive it was the RIAA but a do gooder who decided it was up to them to stop file sharing. And if it can infect Kazaa one could be written to infect Bearshare or any other P2P applications.

KaZaA lite is bullshit, it does contain spywear. just run the lavasoft program after you install it and u will find gator (or cydoor, dont remember) in its folder, if u remove this program kazaa lite doesnt open anymore

Figuring out whether a file is the benjamin virus is just soo easy. I am 13 years old and it's easy for me to recognise a virus in kazaa. When you try to download games for example gta 3 you got to look at the file size. If it's something like 1332 kb it's obviously not gta 3 because thats a 3d popular game and can at least be 130 mb. Also like some people say just run lavasoft ad-aware and it will find the spyware and remove. So don't tell kazaa users to suck it you fucking moron a.k.a. smelv1n!

sorry my grammar and spelling is bad i had trouble being obedient in grade school too