When Bot Nets Attack
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Is your computer part of a bot army, infiltrating systems and spreading spam?
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(InfoWorld) - A sophisticated computer worm spreading via AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) is setting up a botnet that may be difficult to combat, security researchers said. The worm, known as W32.pipeline, propagates when AIM users click on a Web link that appears to have been sent to them by someone on their buddy list. They receive a message along the lines of, "Hey, would it be okay if I upload this picture of you to my blog?" If the recipient clicks on the link, an executable file that looks like a JPEG will download into a Windows folder, according to researchers at security company FaceTime Communications Inc. The file can then execute a number of different attacks, said Chris Boyd, security research manager for FaceTime Security Labs and the researcher who discovered the worm. It can open up the email port on the PC and send out spam messages. It can also install a variant of the "hacker defender" rootkit, which is widely deployed and difficult to remove. One of the most dangerous aspects of the worm is that it can also connect to remote file upload sites, which Boyd believes the worm authors' use as sort of staging sites where they can continuously download new infections. Once a computer is infected, the program will propagate using the same instant messaging method. The worm is unique because the program seems to be able to contact a number of different sites around the globe randomly. FaceTime researchers had different results when running the same file. "Previously, where we've seen something similar to this attempted, if one file is pulled offline or removed by an ISP, the whole chain goes down," Boyd said. "But this one, if one file goes missing or gets pulled down, it will potentially make a call to another file. It has quite a random aspect to it."So far, he estimates that the botnet -- a group of similarly infected computers that are remotely controlled -- has 1,000 to 2,000 members. More computers may have been infected but not made part of the botnet. The best defense is for AIM users to be wary of clicking on links. If a user receives an unexpected link from a buddy, the user can always reply to ask if they have sent the link, to make sure it is legitimate. FaceTime has updated its virus protection software to prevent users from infection, and other antivirus vendors may do the same. AIM users that get infected can try to remove the worm but may have to wipe and reformat their drives to get rid of it.
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Sophisticated computer worm is setting up a botnet that may be hard to beat.
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Marks host malware Booby-trapped web pages are growing at an alarming rate with unsuspecting firms acting for nurseries for botnet farmers, according to a new study.â¦
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Prepare yourself for "time bomb" exploits that attack web-based systems at a pre-determined time.
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The sophisticated worm, known as W32.pipeline, is setting up a botnet and propagates when an AIM user clicks on a Web link apparently sent from someone in their buddy list.
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Blog: Report says click fraud rate is up due to increased use of botnets to automate the clicking on ads.
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Criminals deploy zombies herded into netwoks of a few hundred to more than half a million compromised PCs. Uses vary from the simply annoying (spam attacks) to the unsavory and criminal.
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Home net hardware could come under attack from malicious hackers, say security researchers
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A new malware strategy that involves tracking IP addresses to see when a machine has already been infected could prove vexing for those attempting to hunt down malicious code, according to Finjan. The new tactic is already turning up on compromised Web pages.
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Recently discovered vulnerability allows hackers to use Web graphics to launch attacks.
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Domains of several new phishing sites are cropping up with known Storm worm domains. F-Secure researchers think phishers are leasing parts of the larger botnet.
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Hacker gets three years for adware assault A California man has been jailed for three years and one month over a botnet attack that floored tens of thousands of computers including systems at a Seattle hospital, a California school district, and US Department of Defence machines.â¦
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Pipeline A new worm spreading over AOL Instant Messenger seeks to built a botnet of zombie Windows PCs. The Pipeline worm packs an executable file disguised as a JPEG, which if executed, tries to download other strains of malware rootkits and Trojans. Pipeline uses the AIM Buddy List on infected computers to target other prospective marks.â¦
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Storm worm botnet herders switch tactics (again) Authors behind the Storm worm have switched tactics yet again.â¦
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IT security vendors and analysts reported an increase in the number of cyberattacks being targeted at specific companies doing business online. An ongoing denial-of-service attack against payment processor Authorize.Net is a prime example.