Iraqi Resistance Group Claiming Responsibility for 'Here You Have' Virus May be Based in Spain, Says PandaLabs

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- PandaLabs, Panda Security's antimalware laboratory, has been thoroughly investigating the insidious "Here you have" virus and has discovered that the Iraqi resistance group claiming responsibility, Tariq Bin Ziyad, may be based in Spain. The virus, first appearing about a month ago, is a worm that has spread widely through email using social engineering and uses "Here you have" as the subject header in email messages. This worm has continued to wreak havoc on computer systems around the world and has already hit many multinational organizations including Procter & Gamble, Disney, Wells Fargo and NASA.  

In a video on YouTube created by the "IRAQ Resistance – Leader of Tarek Bin Ziyad Group," and posted on Sunday, September 12 by iqziad (26-year-old resident of Spain), a female voice explains the reasons why this group, supposedly based in Spain, has created and distributed the "Here you have" virus (classified by Panda Security as W32/Visal.A.worm).

The video claims the virus has been created and propagated principally to target the United States for two reasons: to commemorate the 9/11 attacks and to demand respect for Islam, with reference to the threat made by pastor Terry Jones to burn the Koran last week.

The video displays a static image of a map of Andalusia, Spain along with a photo and an emblem, presumably that of the group. This picture can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/panda_security/4985708727/

According to Luis Corrons, Technical Director of PandaLabs, "We have passed on our knowledge of this issue to the Spanish Civil Guard's Digital Crime Unit for investigation. Signs appear that the group responsible for this virus could be residents of Spain, not just because of the information presented on YouTube, but also because of certain aspects of the virus code itself. There is also the link between the name of the group and the Berber general who led the conquest of Al-Andalus."

Tariq ibn Ziyad (died in 720) was a Berber commander who led the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in the eighth century, conquering Visigoth Hispania, according to generally accepted history based on the Arab chronicles of the 10th and 11th centuries.

More information is available in the PandaLabs Blog.

About PandaLabs

Since 1990, its mission has been to detect and eliminate new threats as rapidly as possible to offer our clients maximum security. To do so, PandaLabs has an innovative automated system that analyzes and classifies thousands of new samples a day and returns automatic verdicts (malware or goodware). This system is the basis of collective intelligence, Panda Security's new security model which can even detect malware that has evaded other security solutions.

Currently, 99.4 percent of malware detected by PandaLabs is analyzed through this system of collective intelligence. This is complemented through the work of several teams, each specialized in a specific type of malware (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, phishing, spam, etc), who work 24/7 to provide global coverage. This translates into more secure, simpler and more resource-friendly solutions for clients.

More information is available in the PandaLabs blog: http://www.pandalabs.com.  

SOURCE Panda Security