Worm Targets Insecure Installations of Microsoft SQL Server
CNET News.com reports that a new worm is targeting Microsoft SQL Server and can successfully take servers over that are not configured according to the installation instructions. According to the article, "If the software hasn't been patched with a fix released by Microsoft in late April and has no password on the administrator account, then the server is vulnerable."
Further research into the problem indicates that SQL Servers can be protected simply by ensuring that the administrative password has been changed from the factory default.
As is the case with many network worms, the biggest problem with this software will probably turn out to be a huge increase in network traffic, as successfully installed copies of the worm try to locate other vulnerable systems. It would be a good idea to review firewall rules to ensure that incoming traffic from the Internet to TCP port 1433 is blocked to all servers and workstations.