Related Resources • Virus Encyclopedia • Glossary of terms

From Other Guides • Lara Collectables • A Tomb With a View

Elsewhere on the Web • Kaspersky Description • Kaspersky Release

Lara Croft has long invaded the thoughts of pubescent teenage boys. Now she invades their computers as well. A new virus, thought to be a proof of concept worm, has been discovered in the wild by Kaspersky Labs, an international data-security software developer. The worm spreads via Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels as a Windows desktop theme file named LaraCroft.theme.

Lara does not have a malicious payload. Instead, according to Kaspersky, "Lara scans the available disks, searching for the location IRC-related programs (mIRC client), and modifies their system files. As a result, the worm sends out its copies to all users connected to the same IRC-channel as the infected computer."

Fortunately, the Lara worm is unlikely to be widespread. Eugene Kaspersky, Head of Anti-Virus Research at Kaspersky Labs, notes, "We classify ‘Lara’ most likely as being a proof-of-concept malicious code. The ease with which it is detected and deleted, coupled with the relatively low popularity of the IRC-channels, means that there is not any possibility of a global epidemic happening."

Generically speaking, a proof of concept virus is one that was created specifically to prove a vulnerability (i.e. ability to be infected) exists. Conversely, an in-the-wild virus is one that is actively circulating and infecting users. While most proof of concept threats do not gain wide exposure, there have been instances where they have gone on to become quite prevalent.