If you’re ever unfortunate enough to cop a virus on your PC, I hope it’s this one.
Back in the mid-2000s, a sneaky little worm called W32/Lacon-A was getting around via some dodgy emails. When opened, the email coaxes the recipient to run an executable file that promises to put their number on the Do Not Call registry, but it doesn’t do that at all.
What it actually does is fuck with your computer on the 10th day of every month, which includes setting your homepage to Homestar Runner, the website of some absolute vintage flash cartoons and games.
A “malware historian” has been kind enough to demonstrate how the virus works via the latest video on his YouTube channel, danooct1. He had read about the Lacon worm in antivirus databases and has done a whole bunch of similar videos on hectic malware including the recent WannaCry and NotPetya viruses.
The video shows the actual virus running on an emulated version of Windows 98, as you can see from how bloody old it all looks. Once it’s set loose, the program sends its own emails, fucks with your homepage and annoyingly logs you off with a popup claiming to be from “angry computer”.
As far as viruses go, this one isn’t so bad in that it doesn’t go after any of your files. It will, however, email itself to all of your contacts in Windows Address Book and will make fuckload of executable files with names like “1,000 Porn Site Passwords.exe” and “DeskTop Stripper – HOT!.exe”.
You can check out in action below.
Source & Photo: danooct1.
