Gammima is a common term describing W32.Gammima.AG, which is a computer worm capable of replicating itself on all the drives present in an operating system including removable storage media such as flash drives, USB, etc...
Some popular online games played in the Far East are especially at risk. This virus attempts to collect user passwords and send them to a central server.
The virus was first detected on the International Space Station (ISS) in August 2007. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the U.S.) reported that laptops aboard the ISS were infected with the worm. However, the command and control systems of the ISS remain unaffected since the virus only targets passwords and user accounts of online games. The laptops carried by the astronauts do not have any anti-virus protection. Thus, the virus remained undetected for almost three months.
The ISS did not have a direct Internet connection and all data traffic being transmitted from Mission Control to the ISS was monitored for content. The virus may have been transmitted from an astronaut's USB drive.
Share this Term
Tech moves fast! Stay ahead of the curve with Techopedia!
Join nearly 200,000 subscribers who receive actionable tech insights from Techopedia.
Latest Articles
By: Justin Stoltzfus | Contributor, Reviewer
By: Claudio Buttice | Data Analyst, Contributor
By: Claudio Buttice | Data Analyst, Contributor
