Microsoft Issues Zotob Worm Remover

In the wake of wide media exposure surrounding Zotob infections at CNN and other organizations, Microsoft has updated its Malicious Software Removal Tool to detect and remove the worm and its more-harmful variants. But the company is standing its ground, calling the threat only "moderate."

Version 1.7.1 of Microsoft's malware tool now removes: Zotob.A, Zotob.B, Zotob.C, Zotob.D, Zotob.E, Bobax.O, Esbot.A, Rbot.MA, Rbot.MB and Rbot.MC. The worms take advantage of a critical security vulnerability in Windows 2000, which was patched as part of last week's monthly security update. Although Zotob is not outright destructive, it can cause system reboots and opens a backdoor to intruders.