The worm is spread by ICQ instant messenger or Microsoft Outlook e-mail with the subject line “Hi” and a message which encourages the user to click on an attachment called GONE.SCR, which purports to be a screensaver. The attachment is a Visual Basic program which, if activated, copies itself into the user’s hard drive and forwards itself to those in the user’s Microsoft Outlook address book. It also attempts to disable antivirus and firewall software which fails to recognise. Antivirus companies quickly offered patches to prevent and cure the problems caused by the worm.
Some antivirus companies are describing Goner as the biggest virus threat since the Love Bug virus of last May; others are less impressed by it, with McAfee.com putting it in seventh place in a ranking of the world’s worst viruses. According to the company, Asia was relatively unaffected by Goner, although the US, UK France and Germany were badly hit.
The spread of Goner has surprised many security experts who had thought that few people would be tricked by the message accompanying the attachment in light of past virus scares. The message reads:
"How are you?
When I saw this screen saver, I immediately thought about you I am in a harry, I promise you will love it!"
Other recent viruses, such as Nimda and BadTrans, were much more sophisticated yet did not spread as quickly as Goner.