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Rootkits

It's official: Microsoft to offer free anti-malware service

Greg Masters June 19, 2009

Next week, Microsoft will make available to consumers a new, free anti-malware service to replace its subscription model.

Conficker worm updated to send spam, hawk fake AV

Dan Kaplan April 09, 2009

One week after Conficker's supposed activation date, the worm awoke from its slumber.

Paul McCartney's website hacked to distribute malware

Dan Kaplan April 07, 2009

The website for former Beatle Paul McCartney is the latest legitimate website hacked to serve up malware.

Spyware rise caused by new Virtumundo infections

Angela Moscaritolo April 07, 2009

A pesky adware trojan is continuing to leave its mark on susceptible users.

Virtumundo, now a worm, spreading via USB stick

Greg Masters March 19, 2009

A long-standing trojan that serves as a malware-distribution service has found a new way to infect computers: via a USB stick or other removable device.

Srizbi detection added

Dan Kaplan February 11, 2009

Microsoft has added detection for the infectious Srizbi malware family to its Software Removal Tool, released Tuesday with the company's monthly patches. Srizbi is a trojan downloader or rootkit that propagates through malicious emails. If recipients fall victim, their machines become part of a botnet, whose chief goal is to deliver spam. In October, Microsoft added similar detection for the Rustock bot malware. — DK

Keylogger spyware ordered off the market

Chuck Miller November 17, 2008

In a victory for privacy advocates, an Orlando, Fla.-based company has been ordered not to sell keylogger spyware.

Linux administrators warned of SSH key attacks

Dan Kaplan August 26, 2008

Attackers are using compromised SSH keys to launch in-the-wild attacks against Linux-based computing environments, US-CERT warned Tuesday.

Trend Micro to boycott security tests

Richard Thurston June 05, 2008

The security vendor's chief technology officer said today the company will withdraw from the popular VB100 anti-malware tests, launching a tirade against the testers' methodology.

From Interop: Be mindful of vendors' motives

Dan Kaplan April 30, 2008

IT security vendors' sole purpose is to generate revenue -- not offer complete security -- and they will only create solutions to stop dangerous threats when they are incentivized to do so, the principal security strategist for IBM Internet Security Systems said Wednesday at Interop in Las Vegas.

Microsoft acquires anti-rootkit company

Jim Carr March 24, 2008

Microsoft has shored up its enterprise security portfolio -- and gained a toehold in the government marketplace -- with the acquisition of Komoku, a government-funded startup with products that snoop out rootkits.

Researchers turn Sun Solaris utility into fuzzing tool

Jim Carr February 26, 2008

Security researchers have developed a way to turn a utility for Sun Microsystems' Solaris operating system into a rootkit-like, reverse engineering tool that can be deployed to quickly locate application vulnerabilities and create exploits.

DHS project delivers new malware capture method

Jim Carr February 19, 2008

A project funded by the Department of Homeland Security promises to give security researchers a new way to kill botnets and targeted malware attacks before they infect computers.

Spam offers bogus Hillary Clinton interview video

Jack Rogers February 14, 2008

Spammers capitalizing on nationwide interest in the Democratic presidential nomination battle are sending out messages offering a link to a "Hillary Clinton video interview" that instead launches a trojan downloader on the victim's PC.

Researcher releases exploit codes for Linux 2.6 flaws

Jack Rogers February 12, 2008

A researcher has released exploit codes for newly discovered Linux kernel 2.6 flaws which could permit attackers to gain root-system privileges they can use to steal data or mount denials of service on Linux-based systems.

Malware up 800 percent in 2007, says Panda

Frank Washkuch Jr. January 17, 2008

The amount of malware captured last year increased by 800 percent over 2006, researchers said this week.

Rootkit targeting Master Boot Record in the wild

Frank Washkuch Jr. January 09, 2008

A rootkit attacking Master Boot Record (MBR) - a vector used more than a decade ago on MS-DOS operating systems -- in various Microsoft Windows operating systems is spreading in the wild, according to researchers.

Bhutto assassination video, websites faked to spread malware

Frank Washkuch Jr. December 28, 2007

Cyberattackers are exploiting the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to spread malware, according to researchers at numerous anti-virus vendors.

Attackers use search-engine optimization to hijack prominent terms

Frank Washkuch Jr. November 28, 2007

Cyberattackers have hijacked thousands of search terms on Google, leading end-users to unexpected malware installations.

SANS Institute Top 20 highlights client-side risks

Dan Kaplan November 27, 2007

This week's news that Apple's QuickTime media player contains a new and "extremely dangerous" flaw served as a perfect lead-in to the release of the latest SANS Top 20, which lists client-side vulnerabilities among the most dangerous threats facing end-users.

Online shopping season promises convenience...and cybercrooks

Dan Kaplan November 21, 2007

Monday marks the unofficial start to the online holiday shopping season, and while experts are predicting record-breaking internet sales this year, security researchers are warning that criminals will be prowling cyberspace more than ever before.

SecureWorks: Anti-spyware solution scam steals personal financial information

November 07, 2007

A complex plot involving fake anti-spyware products has scammed thousands of victims out of money and personal information, according to SecureWorks.

Webroot: Scammers spoofing presidential campaign websites

November 05, 2007

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Ron Paul might not be leading in the latest New Hampshire primary or Iowa caucus polls, but they are the first to have their campaign websites copied in URL-spoofing attacks.

News briefs

November 01, 2007

Clothing retailer Gap Inc. revealed that a laptop containing the Social Security numbers of 800,000 job applicants was stolen from a third-party vendor. The laptop contained info of job applicants who applied to the company's Old Navy, Banana Republic, Gap and Outlet stores. The vendor, not identified by Gap, contacted law enforcement authorities about the breach. The data was not encrypted.

Adobe PDF exploits spike

October 26, 2007

Malware writers are massively spamming an exploit for the recently patched Adobe vulnerability, and experts expect the attacks to continue.

SC Magazine survey - Preventing a data breach

October 24, 2007

A legion of data exposures have occurred over the past year, with many affected companies not only being forced to address customer and investor concerns, but also pay fines and adhere to prolonged sets of requirements administered by the Federal Trade Commission. So just how is news of such breaches, exposures and possible thefts affecting the way organizations -- large and small -- focus on information security plans?

Much work to be done as National Cyber Security Awareness Month begins

Dan Kaplan October 01, 2007

A joint McAfee and National Cyber Security Alliance study, released today to kick off National Cyber Security Awareness Month, reports that while 98 percent of 378 respondents believe keeping security software up to date is important, less than half - 48 percent - of their computers had not been updated in the past month.

Well-oiled underground market tops latest Symantec threat report

Dan Kaplan September 17, 2007

An underground economy where professional-grade crimeware and stolen data is exchanged in forums and auction-style websites has turned into a commercialized and extremely lucrative undertaking, the latest Symantec Internet Threat Report shows.

Rootkit redux: researchers find rootkit on another Sony product

Jim Carr August 28, 2007

Sony, which suffered through a rootkit debacle in 2005, is at it again, according to one prominent anti-virus vendor. Researchers at F-Secure have discovered a rootkit on another Sony product, the Sony MicroVault USM-F fingerprint reader.