The ZeroAccess botnet is a very widespread malware threat that has been infecting computers around the world for years. It’s estimated that the current version of ZeroAccess has been installed over nine million times, with roughly one million PCs still infected.
The folks at F-Secure have plotted nearly 140,000 infections on Google Earth, based on the IP address of the infected computer, and the result is an amazing (and rather scary) map.
Along with the screenshots, F-Secure has also released the KML file so you can view it yourself (inside of this zip file, which also includes a CSV of all of the data). Be warned, though, it’s a huge file and will take quite a while to load on your computer.
If you’re concerned that you might be infected with this malware, McAfee offers a free tool to help you get it cleaned up.
About Mickey Mellen
Mickey has been using Google Earth since it was released in 2005, and has created a variety of geo-related sites including Google Earth Hacks. He runs a web design firm in Marietta, GA, where he lives with his wife and two kids.