Malware That Changed The World – The Storm Worm

The Storm Worm came to prominence back in 2007 when recipients received a simple email.

The spam email arrived in inboxes with a large variety of subject lines and the infected attachment varied in name too.

The most common variant, however, was the one from which the worm acquired it’s name -

Subject: 230 dead as storm batters Europe

Attachment: video.exe

The Storm worm first surfaced in the middle of January 2007 and typically had one of several different Trojans associated with it.

These Trojans were most often disguised as the following attached files -

• video.exe
• read more.exe
• full_video.exe
• flash_postcard.exe
• full_text.exe

Most Windows operating systems of the time could be infected by one of these Trojans should the emailed attachment be opened.

As the following video from F-Secure demonstrates, the worm spread far and wide in a very short period of time -

Even though the worm was most commonly known as ‘Storm’ there were several alternative subject lines for the infected email, including -

• 230 dead as storm batters Europe
• Russian missile shot down Chinese satellite
• Russian missile shot down USA aircraft
• Russian missile shot down USA satellite
• Chinese missile shot down USA aircraft
• Chinese missile shot down USA satellite
• Strongest earthquake hits Beijing
• Wrapped Up
• Death toll in China exceeds 1000000
• Recent china earthquake kills million
• British Muslims Genocide
• Naked teens attack home director
• Saddam Hussein alive!
• Saddam Hussein safe and sound!
• U.S. Southwest braces for another winter blast. More then 1000 people are dead
• President of Russia Putin dead
• Third World War just have started!
• First Nuclear Act of Terrorism!
• So in Love
• I Believe
• A Romantic Place
• A Little (sex) Card
• The Miracle of Love
• All For You
• Safe and Sound
• A Special Kiss
• Hugging My Pillow
• You’re Soo Kissable
• Want to Meet?
• For You

amongst many, many others.

Were you ever infected with the Storm worm?

Can you remember any of the other subject titles the email arrived with?

Heres more in my short series on malware that changed the world -

• The OSX/RSPlug Trojan
• The I Love You Virus
• The Blaster Worm
• Anna Kournikova
• The Melissa Virus
• The Storm Worm
• The Morris Worm
• The Conficker Virus
• The Chernobyl Virus
• SQL Slammer
• Sasser
• MyDoom

Related Posts

Malware That Changed The World – The Anna Kournikova Worm

Malware That Changed The World – SQL Slammer

Malware That Changed The World – MyDoom

Malware That Changed The World – Code Red

Malware That Changed The World – CIH a.k.a. The Chernobyl Virus

Malware That Changed The World – The Conficker Virus

Malware That Changed The World – Sasser

Malware That Changed The World – The Robert Morris Worm

Malware That Changed The World – The I Love You Virus

Malware That Changed The World – The Blaster Worm