TELECOMWORLDWIRE-2 June 2006-Anti-virus companies discover password for Archiveus extortion virus(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com
The password for the extortion virus Archiveus has been discovered by anti-virus companies, due to poor programming by those responsible for writing the virus and hijacking data from infected computers.
The Archiveus virus, discovered on 6 May, has affected at least one computer user in the UK in an attempt to extort cash, but the password to unlock the file of hijacked data has been found in the code of the virus.
UK nurse Helen Barrow reportedly found her My Documents folder on Windows swapped for a file protected by a 30-digit password after responding to a message on screen advising her that another virus had been contracted. She was informed she would receive the password after using one of three online pharmacies to purchase drugs.
Computer users infected with the virus, which appears to use parts of the Cryzip ransoming virus, should use the password ‘mf2lro8sw03ufvnsq034jfowr18f3cszc20vmw’ to unlock the file and restore the hijacked folder.
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