To All:

Excerpts from a note from the OIT office at my university:

"Subject: ALERT: Fix available for W32.Sandblast.Worm

Yesterday a new Worm virus was let loose on the internet, the W32.Sandblast.Worm. This worm creates several difficulties with connecting to the internet, particularly over dial-up connections. Some of the symptoms of this virus are:

Presence of the file msblast.ext in the WINDOWS SYSTEM 32 directory

Error messages about the RPC service failing (causes system to reboot)"

The note further directs employees to the university's web site for running the removal tool called STINGER as well as downloading the patch for Windows 2000 or Windows XP for repairing a vulnerability in Windows that allows the virus to operate.

Hope this info helps. Chuck T.