Home Malware Programs Viruses W32.Sality.PE

W32.Sality.PE

Posted: January 23, 2012

Threat Metric

Threat Level: 8/10
Infected PCs: 5
First Seen: January 23, 2012
Last Seen: February 18, 2022
OS(es) Affected: Windows

W32.Sality.PE is a variant of the Sality virus that has spread in massive numbers throughout Vietnam. However, computers in different places of the globe are also vulnerable to attacks by W32.Sality.PE, which uses advanced techniques to propagate, conceal itself and disable the security of its host computers. As a virus, W32.Sality.PE will infect pre-existing files on your hard drive, but W32.Sality.PE can also download and install other PC threats, such as scamware, spyware or browser hijackers. SpywareRemove.com malware analysts have noted that all variants of Sality are major security risks, and this includes W32.Sality.PE. Although W32.Sality.PE will attempt to disable many types of anti-malware products that could remove W32.Sality.PE, with patience and careful usage of standard anti-malware strategies, W32.Sality.PE can be removed by a sufficiently competent anti-virus program.

W32.Sality.PE – the Number-One Threat to the Vietnamese Web

Although W32.Sality.PE and other Sality viruses have existed since 2010, recent reports of W32.Sality.PE’s surge in propagation have led to W32.Sality.PE being considered a top risk in 2012. W32.Sality.PE may spread itself to your PC in any of the following ways, while simultaneously avoiding your security software with polymorphic code changes:

  • W32.Sality.PE, like many types of Sality viruses, may copy itself to another file and then copy that file to removable drives or network-shared locations on your PC. These files will install W32.Sality.PE by default whenever another computer accesses that location, in the same manner that worms use to proliferate.
  • W32.Sality.PE in particular has also been noted to be spread via social networking-based links. These links are posted a little help from chatting features for popular websites like Facebook and Twitter, and are often caused by the original user's account being hijacked by W32.Sality.PE's security attacks.

Since W32.Sality.PE, as a virus, is difficult to detect and may show no unusual files to indicate its presence, it's no surprise to SpywareRemove.com malware researchers that W32.Sality.PE has used the two methods noted above to flood Vietnam. Vietnamese file sources, websites, and links should be treated with caution, since avoiding a possible W32.Sality.PE infection is much simpler than removing W32.Sality.PE.

What to Be Aware of Before You Pry W32.Sality.PE Out of Your PC

As a recent type of Sality variant, W32.Sality.PE may indulge in other attacks besides the ones noted below. However, W32.Sality.PE's most common and most dangerous attacks can include the following, all of which are designed to compromise your computer's security for future assaults:

  • W32.Sality.PE may delete files that are used to update anti-malware programs. It can identify these files by their extensions, such as .vdb or .key.
  • W32.Sality.PE may shut down programs that are related to PC security or safety. In addition to targeting anti-malware products and firewalls, W32.Sality.PE can also terminate Google Online Services, SpIDer Guard File System Monitor, McAfee Framework, Eset HTTP Server and BlackICe, among other products.
  • Similarly, W32.Sality.PE can also blockade your web-surfing habits by blocking sites that are linked to popular brands of PC security companies.
  • W32.Sality.PE may also be used to steal passwords and other private information with keylogging and other types of spyware-based attacks.
  • Unauthorized Registry changes by W32.Sality.PE may also result in other undesirable security weaknesses, such as an inability to launch Windows in Safe Mode.

Finally, W32.Sality.PE can also download and install other PC threats with concealed and encrypted P2P-based transactions. Although deleting the W32.Sality.PE virus may, therefore, be extremely difficult, SpywareRemove.com malware analysts nonetheless recommend that you use suitable anti-malware products and strategies to do so as soon as you suspect that W32.Sality.PE is lurking on your PC. Allowing W32.Sality.PE to remain on your computer should always be considered a security hazard of absolutely intolerable levels.

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