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What is Mydoom Malware?

Last Updated : 21 Jul, 2022
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Mydoom is a type of malware that was spread on Facebook in 2008. It is disguised as an e-mail attachment and typically has the file extension “.doc” or begins with the letters “MNI.” Once downloaded, this virus will create a new folder on your computer and rename the original file to .NET; then it will rename some system files from .exe to .docx and spread itself across your network without you knowing. It will also infect more computers if you download other viruses through Facebook.

Mydoom Malware in Ethical Hacking:

This virus is difficult to delete from your computer; it infects your system without you knowing it and can cause conflicts with other software. It can also show up on the list of viruses common to the antivirus programs and cause them to block access to infected sites. There is no way to delete Mydoom on Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, but there are a couple of programs you can use to remove its traces. Some of these tools have trouble deleting Mydoom when it’s inside one of its folders (the Virus Vault). You should also be careful with these files, as they may contain malicious code that’s designed to prevent you from removing them once they’re installed.

Mydoom. Win32. Agent.aou is a unique computer infection that already has rootkit capabilities and can attack computers across your network without anyone knowing about it. To prevent this from happening, there should be no easy way to download files from Facebook and other websites. The Mydoom malware will also download by itself, even if your firewall program is enabled. When you receive an e-mail with a suspicious attachment, you should not open the e-mail straight away because this is where it will install automatically as a part of its installation window. Once installed, it will create its own program folders at <time>.exe with the name of the same letter as the original filename.

On your computer, you will find a new folder that is related to the installation process of Mydoom (MNI. <time>). Most of its files are hidden, so it’s very difficult to remove them from your computer, even if you are a professional technician. It can cause system errors when your antivirus program blocks some of its files, and it can delete important documents or photos. It can even take over your web browser by making changes to key registry entries on your computer. Because this virus infects every system component, we should be careful when using file-sharing features like uploading and downloading programs or documents on other computers using remote access software.

Key Points:

  • This virus is spread through e-mails or websites and can easily infect a computer network.
  • It can cause a loss of personal data.
  • This virus locks files on your computer, so you cannot use them anymore.
  • If you are infected with this virus, you will receive an e-mail from someone you know that asks you to open a document attachment. Open attachments from friends and family only if they are clear about what the attachment is for and what it contains, as there might be malicious code in it. If you receive an unwanted file from an unknown person, simply delete the e-mail without opening the attachment to prevent infection from happening.

Countermeasures:

  • Install antivirus and anti-malware software.
  • Remember the consequences of opening e-mails.
  • Avoid clicking on links from e-mails.
  • Don’t add people you don’t know on Facebook or other social media websites, and if you do, don’t click on their links without reading the content of the messages.
  • Use an updated anti-spyware software as well as a firewall program to prevent unwanted access to your PC.
  • The Mydoom file is considered highly damaging because it can hide inside the computer system without being noticed and can potentially cause immense damage to the PC’s files and hardware if not detected in time. 
  • The malicious program can be hidden inside different types of files such as archive files (.zip, .rar), and movies (.mp4).
  • Check your system for Mydoom instances: CleanUpMyDoom.exe (Mydoom)

Malicious code is a computer virus that is software that has either been written by an individual or by a group of individuals. A piece of malicious code can be anything from a mere prank to a plan to steal sensitive information, and as such has many purposes. Malicious Code may also be considered malware, which is software whose main purpose is to damage the level of security on a computer system and therefore cause it to have a negative impact. Defensive techniques are often used in trying to deal with malicious code; however, these techniques may not be very effective depending on the severity of the malicious code.


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