Manic malware Mayhem spreads through Linux, FreeBSD web servers

Manic malware Mayhem spreads through Linux, FreeBSD web servers
And how Google could cripple infection rate in a second

By Iain Thomson, 18 Jul 2014

Malware dubbed Mayhem is spreading through Linux and FreeBSD web servers, researchers say. The software nasty uses a grab bag of plugins to cause mischief, and infects systems that are not up to date with security patches.

Andrej Kovalev, Konstantin Ostrashkevich and Evgeny Sidorov, who work at Russian internet portal Yandex, discovered the malware targeting *nix servers. They traced transmissions from compromised computers to two command and control (C&C) servers. So far they have found 1,400 machines that have fallen to the code, with potentially thousands more to come.

"In the *nix world, autoupdate technologies aren't widely used, especially in comparison with desktops and smartphones. The vast majority of web masters and system administrators have to update their software manually and test that their infrastructure works correctly," the trio wrote in a technical report for Virus Bulletin.

"For ordinary websites, serious maintenance is quite expensive and often webmasters don't have an opportunity to do it. This means it is easy for hackers to find vulnerable web servers and to use such servers in their botnets."

Mayhem spreads by finding servers hosting websites with a remote file inclusion (RFI) vulnerability – it even uses Google's /humans.txt to test for this. If the ad giant rewrote this file, specifically changing the words "we can shake", Mayhem infections would be slowed – until its rfiscan.so plugin is updated.

Once the malware exploits an RFI, or some other weakness, to run a PHP script on a victim, it drops a shared object called libworker.so onto the infected system and pings its C&C servers.

It then creates a hidden file system, usually called sd0, and downloads eight plugins, none of which were picked up by the VirusTotal malware scanning tool.

These include a couple of brute-force password crackers targeting FTP, Wordpress and Joomla accounts – presumably to spread the malware further – and information-gathering web crawlers, one of which hunts for other sites with RFI holes.


Some of the vulnerable web applications Mayhem scans for ... click for slightly larger version (Credit: Kovalev, Otrashkevich, Sidorov)
The Yandex trio warn there may be other plugins in circulation, based on data found on the two cracked C&C servers. These include a tool specifically to exploit systems that haven't patched the Heartbleed vulnerability in OpenSSL.

The team notes that the Mayhem code does bear several similarities to the Trololo_mod and Effusion families of malware, which target Apache and Nginx servers respectively. They recommend system administrators check their servers to make sure Mayhem's spread is limited. ®



- wong chee tat :)

Playing hard to get, or impossible to get?

January 8, 2013 - 5:00pm

By: 

Bhavna Jagtiani

Jazlyn Koo

What do you do when someone tries to hit on you?
Flirt? Turn your attention elsewhere?
For some Singaporeans, men specifically, they just act completely disinterested.
This is according to a Singapore Management University (SMU) researcher Mr Norman Li, who said they tend to play "impossible to get".
He said: "There tends to be not much indication of interest or if there is, there is too much of an indication."
Mr Li was is one of the co-authors of a study that found that playing hard to get is a dating strategy many men and women adopt to seem more desirable.
The study, reported in the European Journal of Personality, identified 58 strategies commonly used by men and women to play hard to get.
Here are the 10 most popular "strategies" used:
1. Act confident
2. Talk to others
3. Withhold sex
4. Act sarcastic but friendly
5. Superficial conversation
6. Make others work to get them
7. Give accidental physical contact
8. Be unpredictable
9. Keep conversation short
10. Make others chase
While both men and women play this game, women are more likely to play hard to get - and be successful at it too.
Apparently, men who play hard to get run the risk of losing their prospective mate to another man whereas when women do the same, it increases their desirability and encourages men to show a higher level of commitment to them.
Co-author of the study Mr Peter Jonason, who's from the University of Western Sydney, said: "Men can act aloof and withhold contact and even withhold sex to increase a woman's interest in them but there are risks involved because women tend to have a lot of male suitors and often if you deny attention to a particular woman, you might lose out on that mating opportunity."
So, what are the best strategies to entice the opposite sex?
Mr Jonason said: "You have to show interest while simultaneously showing 'Hey I'm really busy, I'm a hot commodity'."
"Eagerness, especially for women, turns people off."
Both professors however, advised applying discretion when using the tactics.
Mr Jonason said: "Playing hard to get can easily degrade into the impression that this person is rude, and admittedly everyone kind of wants someone who wants them too."


- wong chee tat :)

Flu cases continue to climb

Flu cases continue to climb
Posted: 26 January 2011 1920 hrs

SINGAPORE : The number of influenza and acute respiratory infections continue to climb, remaining above the epidemic threshold.

The Health Ministry said the number of patients seeking treatment in polyclinics in the third week of this month rose to 20,702, up 13 per cent from the week before.

The dominant strain remains Influenza H1N1-A.

The ministry reiterated that the spike in cases is common during this time of year, which coincides with the winter season in the northern hemisphere.

Still, the ministry has advised the public to be vigilant and practise good hygiene.

Those in the vulnerable group - such as children, the elderly and patients with chronic illnesses - should also get vaccinated, it added.

- CNA/al

- wong chee tat :)

373 S'poreans infected with HIV in first 10 months of 2010

373 S'poreans infected with HIV in first 10 months of 2010
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 28 November 2010 1848 hrs
 
SINGAPORE : About 373 Singaporeans were infected with HIV from January to October this year, bringing the total number of HIV cases in Singapore to 4,777.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said it expects the total number of new HIV cases for this year to come close to that of last year's figure of 463.

Of the 169 cases reported between January and June this year, about 60 per cent of the cases had late-stage HIV infection.

And of these, about 90 per cent were men and the rest, women.

Sexual transmission remains the main mode of HIV transmission.

Of the 169 cases reported in the first six months of this year, 166 acquired the infection through the sexual route, with heterosexual transmission accounting for 56 per cent of infections, homosexual transmission acounting for 33 per cent of infections, and bisexual transmission 9 per cent. One was infected through intravenous drug use.

The MOH has urged those at risk of HIV infection and those who engage in risky sexual behaviour to go for regular HIV testing.

- CNA /ls

More underage teens in S'pore see casual sex as acceptable

More underage teens in S'pore see casual sex as acceptable
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 31 October 2009 1945 hrs

SINGAPORE: More underage teenagers in Singapore view casual sex as being normal and acceptable.

The Attorney General, Professor Walter Woon, addressed this issue at the third Children's Society Lecture on Saturday.

He said the job for the prosecution becomes even tougher when two minors engage in casual sex.

Modern technology and the Internet have played a part in the changing mindsets of young people in Singapore.

Carol Balhetchet, director of youth services, Singapore Children's Society, said: "The media in various forms is giving that message that it's cool to be quite open about your sexuality. They tend to experiment and try out, literally try it out, and if you are not in the group that has tried it out, then you are not cool."

Prof Woon said young people are becoming more open with their sexuality, with some even thinking that casual sex is inevitable. As such, legal cases that are emerging have become complex, with some minors even going to the extent of soliciting sexual services.

Prof Woon said: "As what I see from some of the cases that come across my desk, they go out and solicit these contacts. In one case, she solicited it in her own home, not far from where I live.....It is not just the girls, but the boys (too)... male prostitute who went on the Internet, gay chatroom to earn money...."

When it comes to cases involving two minors engaging in casual sex, Prof Woon said the law may not be enough to deal with the issue. "It is not easy and this is where the NGOs, the community services play a part. Obviously, it is not just for the judges. The judges cannot do very much by themselves.

"There has to be some follow-up. Even if you send the boy to jail, or the girl to jail, or both of them to jail, there has got to be something done.

"Sending them to jail per se would not make them reflect on their lives. That is the last thing that is going to happen. But good or ill, this is the framework that we have."

The problem of underage teenagers engaging in sexual activities have seen an upward trend in recent years.

Cases involving consensual sex with a girl under 14, which amounts to statutory rape, have nearly doubled over the last five years - from over 160 cases five years ago to 300 cases this year.

Prof Woon said there could be more, as these were just cases that were reported.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

More teens hit by sexual infections

More teens hit by sexual infections
Sun, Oct 25, 2009
The Straits Times

By Shuli Sudderuddin

More than 500 teenagers so far this year have been diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections at the DSC Clinic in Kelantan Lane.

Most of the girls were found to have chlamydia while the boys had gonorrhoea. Both sexes also had genital herpes and genital warts.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been on the rise among teenagers. Last year, 791 teens were diagnosed with STIs at the DSC, more than three times the 238 cases in 2002. As of August this year, the number was 526.

- wong chee tat :)

2 more deaths bring H1N1-related fatalities in S'pore to 3

2 more deaths bring H1N1-related fatalities in S'pore to 3
Posted: 22 July 2009


SINGAPORE: Two patients died on Wednesday, bringing the total number of H1N1-related deaths in Singapore to three.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said a 13-year-old boy, who was admitted to National University Hospital's Paediatric ICU on Sunday, died on Wednesday morning. He had epilepsy and the cause of death was due to prolonged seizures, with H1N1 as a contributing factor.

The second H1N1-related death on Wednesday was a 55-year-old man. He was admitted to Changi General Hospital's ICU last Saturday. The MOH said the cause of his death was severe pneumonia with advanced motor neuron disease and underlying H1N1.

Singapore's first H1N1-related death was a 49-year-old man with severe heart disease and multiple health problems. He died from a heart attack with H1N1 infection on July 18.

Meanwhile, one more H1N1 patient was admitted into ICU on Wednesday. She is a 42-year-old foreigner with a history of hypertension and who is overweight.

She sought treatment at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Emergency Department, after suffering three days of shortness of breath. She was found to have low oxygen saturation and low blood pressure.

The MOH has been reminding people in the high-risk groups who develop flu-like symptoms to seek medical treatment early.

Elsewhere, a 42-year-old woman with hypertension and thyroid disease - who was admitted to Changi General Hospital's ICU on July 18 - remains in critical condition.

A 46-year-old foreigner with hypertension and kidney disease on dialysis, who was admitted to Mount Elizabeth's ICU on July 20, is in stable condition.

Also in stable condition is a 51-year-old woman with asthma. She was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital's ICU on July 20.

Of the three patients in Singapore General Hospital's ICU, one has been transferred to the general ward. The other two who are still in the ICU are in stable condition.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had said more people in Singapore were expected to be infected with H1N1 as the transmission peaks within the next one to two weeks.

Recent data showed that more than half of all flu cases in Singapore were H1N1 positive.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu patient found in Japan: govt

Tamiflu-resistant swine flu patient found in Japan: govt

July 2nd, 2009

A genetic mutation of swine flu that is resistant to the anti-viral Tamiflu has been discovered in Japan, the first such case in the country, the health ministry said.

It was the second reported case of Tamiflu resistance linked to swine flu in less than a week.

The latest case was found in a patient who had been given the drug since first being diagnosed with A(H1N1) around two weeks ago, Kyodo news agency reported Thursday, citing the Health, Welfare and Labour Ministry.

The patient -- a woman in Osaka prefecture -- was recovering after having been given Ralenza, an alternative anti-flu medication, the report said.

A spokeswoman for Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche, which makes Tamiflu, said the company had been informed of the case and called it "normal."

"It is absolutely normal," she said, adding that "0.4 percent of adults develop resistance" to Tamiflu.

She said the case does not indicate Tamiflu has become less effective against swine flu.

Danish authorities announced earlier this week they had discovered resistance to Tamiflu in a female patient. Ralenza was also used successfully to treat her.

According to the latest World Health Organization figures, Japan has 1,266 reported cases of swine flu, but has so far recorded no fatalities.

(c) 2009 AFP

- wong chee tat :)

Nightclub operators put in place H1N1 precautionary measures

Nightclub operators put in place H1N1 precautionary measures
By Lynda Hong & Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 0006 hrs


SINGAPORE : Several nightspot operators have put in place H1N1 precautionary measures.

Nightclub operator Lifebrandz has put up posters updating patrons on the current H1N1 situation at all 10 of its outlets.

Patrons are also given temperature checks and offered hand sanitisers before entering.

Patrons with a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius will not be allowed to enter.

As of Saturday, Lifebrandz has not turned away any patrons.

Several other nightclub operators Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they are carrying out similar measures.

Operators added that they are confident that business will not be affected.

Lifebrandz's CEO, Bernard Lim, said: "We know that this is going to be a long-drawn process - fighting the H1N1 virus.

"So long as everyone is socially responsible and they take care of their own health, maintaining certain level of hygiene, we are quite sure that our patrons will come out and have a good time regardless."

- CNA /ls

- wong chee tat :)

Schools carry out measures to prevent spread of H1N1 flu

Schools carry out measures to prevent spread of H1N1 flu
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1400 hrs


SINGAPORE: Students in Singapore returned to local schools on Monday to find full measures in place to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu.

After a month-long break, teachers and students who had travelled to H1N1-affected countries, or those who were unwell, had been told to stay home.

Over at Outram Secondary School, a screening station at the school gates greeted students as they returned for class.

"I have flu. (Question: If you have the flu, why not stay at home?) A bit only...will recover after that," said a student.

Those who displayed flu-like symptoms were isolated from their classmates and sent home.

Students were also required to hand in their travel declaration forms to their teachers.

All classes were also taught lessons on how to be socially responsible and adopt good hygiene habits based on guidelines set out in the Education Ministry's H1N1 education package.

Posters on social responsibility went up around the school and videos on hygiene habits were shown on television screens throughout the school as well.

Similar H1N1 precautionary measures were carried out at Mee Toh Primary School.

Recess was also staggered over four school periods, instead of the previous two, to reduce the risk of infection.

At Nan Hua Primary School at Jalan Lempeng, students were segregated into three batches for staggered recess breaks.

Principal Lee Hui Feng said: "That means each group has about 200 pupils and we try to ensure that when the children gather, there's a gap in between the classes and we shorten the time that they are assembled together. I think the most important thing is the teacher will monitor their health status closely and we also remind students about their personal hygiene."

Some students took the new measures in their stride and were just glad to be back. "I feel very happy coming back to school because I can see my friends," said one chirpy student.

Measures are also in place to ensure staff do not cross-infect one other.

Choy Wai Yin, principal of Outram Secondary School, said: "We're dividing the staff into different teams and there will be different staff rooms for this period of time so that there is minimal mass staff contact with one another and we will always have a functioning team."

The Education Ministry says one to two per cent of all students in Singapore are serving out a Leave Of Absence (LOA) as a precaution.

Outram Secondary School says out of its 950 students, some 30 of them and one teacher are on LOA.

While over at Mee Toh Primary School, there are 29 students and one teacher on LOA.

Some parents Channel NewsAsia spoke to were skeptical about whether measures such as filling up travel declaration forms would work.

One parent, who dropped off his child at Mee Toh Primary School, said: "Whether they will declare it properly, whether they have been to the affected countries, we're not sure. But I think that it's quite right that we have some sort of precautionary measures."

Speaking at an event on Monday morning, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen addressed concerns about whether more schools may be closed, if the situation gets worse.

He said: "I wouldn't paint a doomsday scenario and say 'what if'. For schools, what it does mean is that when we want to prevent big clusters from forming, we have to close down certain classes, certain schools. And we take it a day at a time, a week at a time and we adjust to the situation."

Dr Ng added that although there is no way to stop this pandemic, the current measures aim to slow down the spread of the virus. And he hopes this will help students lead as normal a school life as possible.


- CNA/yt/ir

- wong chee tat :)

500 students at RI Boarding School on leave of absence

500 students at RI Boarding School on leave of absence
By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 June 2009 1944 hrs


SINGAPORE: All 500-odd students and 20 teachers at Raffles Institution Boarding School are on Leave of Absence.

This is because a majority of the boarders are foreigners who have been to H1N1-affected countries during the recent school holidays.

Raffles Institution Boarding School has two H1N1 cases, who did not enter the school premises.

They showed symptoms upon arrival in Singapore.

The entire RI campus, with a student population of 4,500, is now segregated into three sections - Junior College, Secondary and Boarding School.

RI said tests and classes were carried out in these segregated groups on Monday to minimise interaction.

All students were also asked to leave immediately after school ended.

Junior college students who are boarders on Leave Of Absence sat for their Common Tests at the boarding school.

RI said it is doing everything it can to ensure the well-being of students by maintaining social distancing and grouping wherever possible.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

30 new H1N1 cases raise total in Singapore to 629

30 new H1N1 cases raise total in Singapore to 629
Posted: 29 June 2009 2151 hrs

	•

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed 30 new cases of H1N1 flu, bringing the total to 629 so far.

According to the Health Ministry, 246 patients have fully recovered while the rest are in stable condition.

Together with 105 cases pending investigation on Sunday, 71 have been investigated - comprising 58 local cases and 13 imported ones.

A new cluster has surfaced, comprising three Raffles Institution Boarding School students who have just returned from affected countries.

The greatest number of new cases registered on Monday, however, came from the Republic Polytechnic. It has 17 new cases, bringing the total in the cluster to 66.

There were eight new cases at Clementi Camp, which now has 53 cases.

Maju Camp has three new ones, bringing the total there to 22.

At the Police Coast Guard's Brani Base, one new case brings the total there to five.

- CNA/ir

- wong chee tat :)

Singapore confirms another 16 new H1N1 cases

Singapore confirms another 16 new H1N1 cases
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 22 June 2009 0040 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed another 16 new cases of H1N1.

Seven are local and nine has travel history, bringing the total number of H1N1 cases in Singapore to 142.

A third cluster of locally-infected cases has also been identified at popular nightclub Butter Factory at One Fullerton.

The new case is a 19-year-old Singaporean female student. She visited the club on June 17 when three previously reported cases were also there.

The Health Ministry has advised all those who had visited Butter Factory on June 17 to monitor their health and seek medical attention if they feel unwell.

The other new cases include two additional ones from the Riverlife Church cluster.

One is a 20-year-old Singaporean female student who attended a church function on June 13, while the other is a 12-year-old Singaporean boy who is a cousin to an earlier case in the cluster.

There were also three new cases with no travel history and no known contact with confirmed cases.

One is a 22-year-old Singaporean female student who participated in a church camp at Prince George's Park from June 15 to 18.

Another is a 21-year-old National Serviceman based at Clementi Police Station.

There was also another local case, a 22-year-old Malaysian man, who is a colleague of a previously confirmed case.

The nine imported cases include three Singaporeans, two Permanent Residents and four foreigners (a Filippino, a Malaysian, an Australian and an Indonesian. They had travelled to Australia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

Contact tracing is underway. - CNA/de

- wong chee tat :)

H1N1 flu death toll in US, Canada reaches 100

H1N1 flu death toll in US, Canada reaches 100
Posted: 20 June 2009 1301 hrs

WASHINGTON: Figures released Friday by US and Canadian health authorities show that the H1N1 flu pandemic has killed 100 people in Canada and the United States.

Eighty-seven people died from the disease in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reported, adding that there were 21,449 confirmed cases.

The figures are a jump from the previous report on June 12, when 44 people were reported dead and 17,855 cases were confirmed.

In Canada, the world's third most affected country, health authorities reported a 13th death and 5,710 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) flu.

In Mexico, where the flu strain was first spotted, authorities reported 113 killed by the disease and the number of confirmed infections at more than 7,000.

The most recent World Health Organization data, out Thursday, showed that the H1N1 flu has infected nearly 40,000 people around the world in 89 countries and territories, causing 167 deaths since late March.

Some affected countries no longer keep track of all cases according to the UN health agency, while others do not report for each of the thrice-weekly bulletins.

- AFP/yb

The H1N1 is getting out of control!

- wong chee tat :)

Swine Flu Update: WHO Declares Pandemic In Response To Ongoing Global Spread Of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus

Swine Flu Update: WHO Declares Pandemic In Response To Ongoing Global Spread Of Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus

ScienceDaily (June 12, 2009) — On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, which causes swine flu. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.

WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. It’s uncertain at this time how serious or severe this novel H1N1 pandemic will be in terms of how many people infected will develop serious complications or die from novel H1N1 infection. Experience with this virus so far is limited and influenza is unpredictable. However, because novel H1N1 is a new virus, many people may have little or no immunity against it, and illness may be more severe and widespread as a result. In addition, currently there is no vaccine to protect against novel H1N1 virus.

In the United States, most people who have become ill with the newly declared pandemic virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment, however, CDC anticipates that there will be more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths associated with this pandemic in the coming days and weeks. In addition, this virus could cause significant illness with associated hospitalizations and deaths in the fall and winter during the U.S. influenza season.

Background

Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching your nose or mouth. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to cause a wide range of flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, many people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.

The first novel H1N1 patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing at CDC on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. It was quickly determined that the virus was spreading from person-to-person. On April 22, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better coordinate the public health response. On April 26, 2009, the United States Government declared a public health emergency and has been actively and aggressively implementing the nation’s pandemic response plan.

Since the outbreak was first detected, an increasing number of U.S. states have reported cases of novel H1N1 influenza with associated hospitalizations and deaths. By June 3, 2009, all 50 states in the United States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were reporting cases of novel H1N1 infection. While nationwide U.S. influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall influenza activity is decreasing in the country at this time, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense activity.

CDC is continuing to watch the situation carefully, to support the public health response and to gather information about this virus and its characteristics. The Southern Hemisphere is just beginning its influenza season and the experience there may provide valuable clues about what may occur in the Northern Hemisphere this fall and winter.

CDC Response

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce the spread and severity of illness, and to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this new public health threat.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance in response to the rapidly evolving situation (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm).

Clinician Guidance

CDC has issued interim guidance for clinicians on identifying and caring for patients with novel H1N1 (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/identifyingpatients.htm), in addition to providing interim guidance on the use of antiviral drugs (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm). Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) with activity against influenza viruses, including novel influenza H1N1 viruses. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat people hospitalized with influenza illness, and to treat people at increased risk of severe illness, including pregnant women, young children, and people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes and other metabolic diseases, heart or lung disease, kidney disease, weakened immune systems, and persons with neurologic or neuromuscular disease.

Public Guidance

CDC has provided guidance for the public on what to do if they become sick with flu-like symptoms, including infection with novel H1N1 (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm). CDC also has issued instructions on taking care of a sick person at home (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm) and the use of facemasks and respirators to reduce novel influenza A (H1n1) transmission (see: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm). Everyone should take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, including frequent hand washing and people who are sick should stay home and avoid contact with others in order to limit further spread of the disease.

Testing

CDC has developed a PCR diagnostic test kit to detect this novel H1N1 virus and has now distributed test kits to all states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The test kits are being shipped internationally as well. This will allow states and other countries to test for this new virus.

Vaccine

Vaccines are a very important part of a response to pandemic influenza and the U.S. Government is aggressively taking early steps in the process to manufacture a novel H1N1 vaccine, working closely with manufacturers. CDC has isolated the new H1N1 virus, made a candidate vaccine virus that can be used to create vaccine, and has provided this virus to industry so they can begin scaling up for production of a vaccine, if necessary. Making vaccine is a long multi-step process requiring several months to complete.

Stockpile Deployment

CDC has deployed 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States and U.S. territories. This included antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices. The influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to novel H1N1 virus.

Surveillance

Novel influenza A (H1N1) activity is now being detected through CDC’s routine influenza surveillance systems and reported weekly in FluView. CDC tracks U.S. influenza activity through multiple systems across five categories. While our influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall influenza activity is decreasing in the United States, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in different parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense influenza-like activity. Most of the influenza viruses being detected now are novel H1N1 viruses.

Shared Responsibility

Individuals have an important role in protecting themselves and their families.

* Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available.
* Everyone should take these everyday steps to protect your health and lessen the spread of this new virus:
o Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
o Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
o Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
o Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
o If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
o Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social
distancing measures.

- wong chee tat :)

Three more H1N1 patients discharged from CDC

Three more H1N1 patients discharged from CDC
By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 June 2009 2052 hrs

SINGAPORE: Three more patients who had the H1N1 flu virus have been discharged from the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), bringing the total number of patients discharged to nine.

Six patients are still in hospital and their conditions are stable.

The Ministry of Health said on Monday that Singapore had one suspected case of H1N1 infection but subsequent tests proved negative, so the total number of confirmed cases remains at 15.

Seventy-three countries have officially reported 25,288 cases of H1N1 infection, including 139 deaths.


- CNA/so


- wong chee tat :)

Flu A/H1N1 cases keep rising in Asia-Pacific region Thursday

Flu A/H1N1 cases keep rising in Asia-Pacific region Thursday

www.chinaview.cn 2009-06-04 01:07:55

Print

Hong Kong, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The flu A/H1N1 infection cases keep rising in the Asia-Pacific region as the flu-stricken countries and regions, including Japan, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand, all reported fresh confirmed cases on Thursday.

With five more cases confirmed in Shizuoka, Tokyo and Chiba, Japan's tally of confirmed cases of the new strain of flu virus infection reached 410 in Japan on Thursday, the health authorities said.

In Tokyo, a 25-year-old male student who returned from the United States on Tuesday tested positive for the flu. In Shizuoka, local authorities confirmed that two men, in their 20s, have been infected with the new flu virus.

The cases were reported at a time when the flu appeared to be running out of steam in Japan.

With the resumption of classes at Kobe Gakuin University High School Wednesday, all schools, which were closed amid the flu fears, reopened in western Japan's Kobe.

Thailand's Public Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday the country's first human-to-human case of A/H1N1 flu infection.

The ministry said the patient is a 19-year-old man, who has not traveled abroad. He was infected by his mother, who was sick of the A/H1N1 flu after returning from the United States.

His mother, 49, developed the flu symptoms as she and her husband returned from the U.S. on May 25. The husband was earlier confirmed to have been infected with the flu.

His parents have already recovered from the disease, the health authority said, without revealing any details about the latest patient's condition.

In addition, the source said the country's eighth case of the A/H1N1 flu is a 20-year-old woman, whose flu symptoms had started from May 30 while she was in the United States. The woman arrived in Thailand on Monday and was admitted to hospital on Tuesday.

The Philippine health authorities said seven more patients were tested positive for influenza A/H1N1 on Thursday, bringing the total number of the country's confirmed cases to 29.

One of the newly-confirmed cases is a 20-year-old male overseas student at the De La Salle University, who is a contact of the first case confirmed at the school on Wednesday.

The other six cases are Filipinos who all returned from trips to the United States, Health Secretary Francisco Duque told reporters.

Duque said in all of the 29 confirmed cases, patients manifested only with mild symptoms reflecting the general trend and behavior of the virus in other affected countries.

"With further characterization of the virus in our local cases, if we see that A/H1N1 poses no severe threat and is self-limited in most cases, we may be seeing a shift in our control strategy to outpatient and home management of patients showing only mild symptoms," he said.

Since May 1, the Philippine Department of Health has monitored a total of 414 cases under observation. Besides the 29 positive cases, 47 are pending laboratory results, and 338 others are negative for the virus.

In Australia, the number of A/H1N1 flu cases surged to 876 by Thursday afternoon, according to local media reports on Thursday.

The Victoria state alone had a total of 752, according to the state's health department, with the next closest state being New South Wales with 74 as of Thursday afternoon.

Victoria is now placed in the same category as Mexico, Panama and Japan.

There are no travel restrictions within Australia so far or for people arriving at or departing the country, according to the federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon.

The neighboring New Zealand also reported another flu infection case, which took the country's total confirmed number to 11.

The person arrived in New Zealand on May 30 on Air NZ flight NZ5, although the confirmed case was notified only Wednesday.

Sixty-three people were in isolation or quarantine and being treated with Tamiflu, up from 54 since Wednesday.

Although New Zealand's confirmed Influenza A/H1N1 cases had been capped at 11, health authorities believed that an increase was inevitable, particularly given the soaring number of cases in Australia.

Malaysia also reported three new cases of A/H1N1 flu on Thursday, bringing the tally to five, said Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

The latest flu patients were two German tourists, who arrived at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal near here on AirAsia flight AK702Wednesday afternoon.

The two patients, aged 30 and 32, arrived in Singapore on Monday for their holiday in Asian countries. They were confirmed with the disease Thursday afternoon after having developed fever in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Earlier Thursday, Malaysia reported the third A/H1N1 flu case --a student, who returned from the United States on Malaysian Airlines flight MH091 on Monday.

The Malaysian health authorities are tracing the 276 passengers and crew members on the same flights with the three patients.

Malaysia announced the first A/H1N1 flu case in the country on May 15 and the second on May 16. Both were students who returned home from the United States.

Singapore has confirmed its 12th case of Influenza A/ H1N1, the country's Health Ministry said on Thursday.

The patient is an 18-year-old Singaporean man. He went to Melbourne on May 16 and returned to Singapore on Emirates EK405 on Monday.

The Health Ministry said the contact tracing is ongoing for the latest case. The ministry also advised the public to avoid non-essential travel to affected areas, including Melbourne and Victoria in Australia, Kobe and Osaka in Japan, Chile, the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In China's Hong Kong, three people were tested positive for theA/H1N1 virus on Thursday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the populous city to 30, according to information from local health authorities. But no further report is available at the stage.

Vietnam on Thursday confirmed the country's fourth infection case in Ho Chi Minh City. The Health Department said a six-year-old Vietnamese girl recently returning home from the United Stateshas been confirmed to be infected with the flu virus, according to local media report.

The girl is receiving treatment now. All of the four infected patients in the country have recently returned from the United States.

After treatment, the first three cases are now tested negative to the virus and may be discharged from hospital next week, said the report.

Although this news is some days late, it seems that there are more and more swine flu cases keep coming up.

- wong chee tat :)

New Windows virus attacks PHP, HTML, and ASP scripts

New Windows virus attacks PHP, HTML, and ASP scripts
 
Virus gets around

By Dan Goodin in San Francisco  

Posted in Security, 12th February 2009  

Researchers have identified a new strain of malware that can spread rapidly from machine to machine using a variety of infection techniques, including the poisoning of webservers, which then go on to contaminate visitors.

The malware is a variation of a rapidly mutating virus alternately known as Virut and Virux (And here too ). It has long proved adept at injecting itself into executable files, which are then able to attack uninfected machines through network drives and USB sticks.

The variant, which Microsoft is calling Virus:Win32/Virus.BM, is also able to infect web scripts based on languages such as PHP, ASP, and HTML. Servers that become infected include an iframe in webpages that attempt to spread malware to visitors.

"This catapults the possibility of spreading even farther," Trend Micro researchers warn. "If the script files happen to be uploaded to a publicly accessible website, any visitor to the affected sites will be led to the URL embedded in the iframe code."

The iframe surreptitiously directs visitors to zief.pl (don't visit it unless you're a security professional), which attempts to exploit a variety of vulnerabilities based on the browser and other applications the user has installed, Microsoft researchers say. Once installed, the virus injects its code into various system processes such as explorer.exe and winlogon.exe and hooks low-level Windows APIs to ensure it stays in memory.

The virus has also picked up some new polymorphic tricks designed to make it harder for anti-virus programs to detect. Among other things, it uses more than one layer of encryption, allowing its binary fingerprint to change but to preserve its malicious payload.

Infected machines will have an IRC backdoor installed that tries to connect to several servers using port 80. ®

- http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=PE_VIRUX.A

- http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/new_virut_strain/

- http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2006-051402-1930-99

- wong chee tat :)