Pesky

Posted: January 30, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	38

First Seen:	January 30, 2013
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Pesky is a worm that attempts to distribute itself through Skype messages that automatically target any known contacts on the current Skype user's list. Additionally, a separate worm, Phorpiex, also may install Pesky on a PC that it's already compromised. Currently, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers rate Pesky as a low-level threat due to its lack of major functions besides self-propagation. However, because Pesky may be accompanied by Phorpiex and other PC threats, they also recommend that you use thorough anti-malware scans from suitable programs to remove Pesky and catch any malware that may have been installed with Pesky.

Pesky: a Half-Baked Pest for Cyberspace Communications

Unlike most worms, Pesky doesn't include meaningful features besides its self-distributing attacks. Current versions of the Pesky worm can't install other malware, open a backdoor or attack the security settings of your PC. Due to this overall neutered functionality, SpywareRemove.com malware analysts surmise that Pesky is a work-in-progress that was introduced to the wild either unintentionally or as a test for future versions of Pesky. As such, the damage that Pesky, by itself, is capable of causing to your PC is very minimal.

Also detected as Trojan-Dropper.Agent and Gen:Trojan.Heur.DP.bGW@amsAudfG, Pesky automatically messages contacts on the PC user's Skype contact list and transmits a web address that appears to point to a jpg picture. However, the real content of the link is an installer for Pesky. At this time, the current Web host for Pesky's file appears to take the content down.

Pesky is most prolific in Japan. However, SpywareRemove.com malware researchers stress that similar Skype-based attacks have been used by various PC threats throughout the world and are capable of compromising PCs in virtually any country.

Why You Shouldn't Ignore the Possible Problem that a Pesky Pest Poses to Your PC

Alone, the current version of Pesky is effectively incapable of harming your computer in any meaningful way. However, Pesky is strongly related to Phorpiex infections that can include other attacks that do have some meaningful potential to cause harm to your computer. Phorpiex is capable of creating backdoor vulnerabilities, installing other malware and will delete itself to avoid being detected – suggesting that its primary role is to play as a Trojan downloader for a more permanent payload than itself.

To be sure that a Pesky attack isn't related to other malware-based system problems, SpywareRemove.com malware research team discourages skimping on system scans and other anti-malware analyses that could detect PC threats associated with Pesky. However, if you do have access to the right security programs, deleting Pesky should be a simple and fast process.

In cases where malware related to Pesky interfere with your system scans, you may use Safe Mode or boot your operating system through a removable device, which will prevent malicious programs from launching themselves automatically.

Trojan.Peskyspy

Pesky

Threat Metric

Pesky: a Half-Baked Pest for Cyberspace Communications

Why You Shouldn't Ignore the Possible Problem that a Pesky Pest Poses to Your PC

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