There's already various antivirus vendors that are adding routines into their definitions to deal with its variants that are now malware.
One of those are Microsoft AntiSpyware.
The news I thought was most interesting was:
To get the uninstall program, users were asked to request it by filling out online forms. Once submitted, the forms themselves download and install a program designed to ready the PC for the fix. Essentially, it makes the PC open to downloading and installing code from the Internet.
According to security experts, the program fails to make the computer confirm that such code should come only from Sony or First 4 Internet.
"The consequences of the flaw are severe," Felten and Halderman wrote in a blog posting Tuesday after being tipped by a Finnish researcher, Matti Nikki. "It allows any Web page you visit to download, install, and run any code it likes on your computer. Any Web page can seize control of your computer; then it can do anything it likes. That's about as serious as a security flaw can get." (From CBS News)
Unfortunately, it looks like while there will soon be a range of options to remove or deactivate the rootkit, people may have been exposed to even more malware from other sources after merely making the request to aquire the "fix" from Sony.
As people have often mentioned in these forums, these sort of things will probably have the most negative effect on casual and inexperienced users who in good faith follow Sony's instructions.
Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the world's second-largest record company, recalled compact discs with hidden copyright-protection software because of concerns about security risks the CDs may create on personal computers.
There is now a list of some of the albums which include the xcp protection.
State of Texas sues Sony BMG over the rootkit.
Microsoft AntiSpyware 1.0.701 removes Sony Rootkit.
How do I get that version Tarun?
My version updated today is 1.0.615
If I save to desktop, will it automatically overwrite my existing version?
The frontpage of Lunarsoft.net has a direct link to the working version. You can verify by right clicking the install exe, going to Properties, Digital Signatures and seeing that it says November.
When you run the install it will prompt about upgrading.
Now I am in a bit of a tizzy!
The version I have downloaded from your Lunarsoft link is version 9.0.333.0, dated today.
I installed, it asked to upgrade,said yes.
It has not done anything, the version on my taskbar and desktop is still version 1.0.615.
I have kept the new setup exe.
Help!
Digital Signatures, not Version.
The version is that of the installer.
The digital signature says 13th July on the setup exe I have just downloaded. I am sure its the right one I did.
EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) sues Sony BMG.
Downloaded new MSAS again. This time okay.
MSAS should really be able to download and upgrade itself, it could make for a smaller download by only upgrading components that have changed.
Good point.