News

• Flame's Bluetooth functionality could help spies extract data locally, researchers say

  By Lucian Constantin | 01 June, 2012 14:40

  The Bluetooth functionality of the Flame cyberespionage malware could potentially be used to pinpoint the physical location of infected devices and allow local attackers to extract data if they get in close proximity to the victims, according to security researchers from antivirus vendors Symantec and Kaspersky Lab.

• Browser feature can be abused to misrepresent download origin, researcher says

  By Lucian Constantin | 31 May, 2012 21:43

  Legitimate browser functionality can be abused to trick users into believing that a trusted website has asked them to download a file, which is actually being served from a rogue server, Google security engineer Michal Zalewski demonstrated on Tuesday.

• Copies of anti-censorship software used in Iran and Syria contain keylogger

  By Lucian Constantin | 30 May, 2012 15:11

  Rogue copies of Green Simurgh, an Internet proxy software application used in Iran and Syria, have been found to contain malware that records users' activities and keystrokes.

• Nearly a fifth of U.S. PCs have no virus protection, McAfee finds

  By Cameron Scott | 30 May, 2012 05:29

  A McAfee study of PCs around the world found that 17 percent had no antivirus protection, and the U.S. outpaced the average with 19 percent of PCs unprotected.

• Researchers identify Stuxnet-like cyberespionage malware called 'Flame'

  By Lucian Constantin | 28 May, 2012 18:31

  A new, highly sophisticated malware threat that was predominantly used in cyberespionage attacks against targets in the Middle East has been identified and analyzed by researchers from several security companies and organizations.

• Bug bounty hunters reveal eight vulnerabilities in Google services

  By Loek Essers | 24 May, 2012 12:56

  Security researchers unveiled eight vulnerabilities in Google services during the Hack in the Box conference in Amsterdam on Thursday -- but they claim to have discovered more than 100 such bugs over the past few months.

• McAfee reports big spike in malware

  By Cameron Scott | 23 May, 2012 20:08

  PC malware had its "busiest quarter in recent history," according to McAfee's quarterly security report released Wednesday.

• Bredolab botnet author sentenced to 4 years in prison in Armenia

  By Lucian Constantin | 23 May, 2012 15:50

  The creator of the Bredolab malware received a four-year prison sentence in Armenia on Monday for using his botnet to launch DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks that damaged multiple computer systems owned by private individuals and organizations.

• Banking malware monitors victims by hijacking webcams and microphones, researchers say

  By Lucian Constantin | 23 May, 2012 02:07

  A new variant of SpyEye malware allows cybercriminals to monitor potential bank fraud victims by hijacking their webcams and microphones, according to security researchers from antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab.

• Cross-browser worm spreads via Facebook, security experts warn

  By Lucian Constantin | 22 May, 2012 02:34

  Malware writers have used Crossrider, a cross-browser extension development framework, to build a click-fraud worm that spreads on Facebook, security researchers from antivirus firm Kaspersky Lab said on Monday.

• Wikipedia warns users about malware injecting ads into its pages

  By Lucian Constantin | 16 May, 2012 04:33

  Visitors to Wikipedia who see advertisements on the site have most likely fallen victim to a browser-based malware infection, Wikimedia Foundation, the organization operating the website, said on Monday.

• Amnesty International's UK website compromised to infect visitors with cyberspying malware

  By Lucian Constantin | 12 May, 2012 01:41

  The U.K. website of Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog organization, was compromised by hackers, who used it to infect visitors with a remote access Trojan horse program known as Gh0st RAT, security firm Websense reported on Friday.

• APT attackers are increasingly using booby-trapped RTF documents, experts say

  By Lucian Constantin | 11 May, 2012 00:26

  Booby-trapped RTF documents are one of the most common types of malicious Microsoft Office files that are used to infect computers with advanced persistent threats (APTs), according to security researchers from Trend Micro.

• FBI issues warning on hotel Internet connections

  By Michael Cooney | 10 May, 2012 04:47

  The FBI today warned travelers there has been an uptick in malicious software infecting laptops and other devices linked to hotel Internet connections.

• Police-themed ransomware starts targeting US and Canadian users

  By Lucian Constantin | 10 May, 2012 01:45

  A ransomware application that locks computers and asks their owners to pay fines for allegedly violating several laws through their online activity is targeting U.S. and Canadian users, malware experts from security firm Trend Micro said on Wednesday.