"Countdown" Mystery Deepens
A virus causing the appearance of a countdown clock, first appearing 12 days ago, and counting down to November 10, has returned, slipping past anti-malware filters that had been updated last week to clear out an earlier form of the virus. Appearing on an enormous variety of network-connected devices, from picture frames to refrigerators to automobile stereos -- and of course to computers, augmented reality glasses, and phones -- the virus does nothing more than run a second-by-second countdown. Specialists examining the source code claim that it carries no payload, and most of the program is dedicated to avoiding detection and removal.
Current anti-malware packages will not block the latest version of Countdown, and specialists warn that we should expect to see more versions before the countdown date arrives.