VB Blog

Avast to present technical details of CCleaner hack at VB2017

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Oct 2, 2017

The recently discovered malicious CCleaner version has become one of the biggest security stories of 2017. Two researchers from Avast, the company that had recently acquired CCleaner developer Piriform, will share the results of their investigations at VB2017 in Madrid this week.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Oct 2, 2017

We preview the VB2017 paper by Kaspersky Lab researchers Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade and Costin Raiu on fourth-party collection and its implications for attack attribution.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 29, 2017

We preview Patrick Wardle's VB2017 paper, in which the Synack researcher analyses the mysterious OSX/FruitFly malware by setting up a custom C&C server.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 28, 2017

More than 50 security industry experts will present conference papers to their peers at VB2017 next week, and there are several papers on the programme with a certain newsworthiness. There is still time for cybersecurity journalists to apply for a press pass.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 25, 2017

We preview the VB2017 paper by Dhia Mahjoub (OpenDNS) and Jason Passwaters (Intel471) who combine an actor-centric and a network-centric approach to analysing bulletproof hosting operations.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 22, 2017

As has become tradition, VB2017 will once again see a security industry table football tournament. Register your team now for some great fun and adrenaline-filled matches in between sessions in Madrid!

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 21, 2017

Greater Manchester Police is one of many organizations still running Windows XP on some of its systems. This is bad practice, but the case against running XP is far more subtle than we often pretend it is.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 21, 2017

Researchers from ESET have found a new way in which the FinSpy/FinFisher 'government spyware' can infect users, details of which they will present at VB2017 in Madrid.

Posted by Virus Bulletin on Sep 20, 2017

Activity monitoring by security products in general, and HTTPS traffic inspection in particular, are sensitive issues in the security community. There is a time and a place for them, VB's Martijn Grooten argues, but only when they are done right.

Posted by Martijn Grooten on Sep 19, 2017

We preview the VB2017 paper by Fortinet researcher Axelle Apvrille, in which she looks at some less obvious tools for reverse engineering Android malware.

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VB2018 paper and video: Android app deobfuscation using static-dynamic cooperation

Static analysis and dynamic analysis each have their shortcomings as methods for analysing potentially malicious files. Today, we publish a VB2018 paper by Check Point researchers Yoni Moses and Yaniv Mordekhay, in which they describe a method that combin…
Android app deobfuscation using static-dynamic cooperation Read the paper (HTML) Download the paper (PDF) The two most common methods for analysing potentially malicious… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/vb2018-paper-and-video-android-app-deobfuscation-using-static-dynamic-cooperation/

VB2019 call for papers closes this weekend

The call for papers for VB2019 closes on 17 March, and while we've already received many great submissions, we still want more!
This weekend the call for papers for VB2019, the 29th Virus Bulletin International Conference, will close. For those who like to submit at the very last minute, the CFP closes… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/vb2019-call-papers-closes-weekend/

Registration open for VB2019 ─ book your ticket now!

Registration for VB2019, the 29th Virus Bulletin International Conference, is now open, with an early bird rate available until 1 July.
Registration is now open for VB2019, the 29th Virus Bulletin International Conference, which will take place 2-4 October in London, UK. One of the longest-running security… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/registration-open-vb2019-book-your-ticket-now/

The VB2019 call for papers is about ... papers

When we are calling for papers for the Virus Bulletin conference as we are doing now, we really mean a written paper. But don't worry if you've never written a paper - we can help!
The Call for Papers for VB2019, the 29th Virus Bulletin Conference (London, 2-4 October) is open until Sunday 17 March. When we say "call for papers" we really put the emphasis… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/vb2019-call-papers-about-papers/

VB2018 video: Adware is just malware with a legal department - how we reverse engineered OSX/Pirrit, received legal threats, and survived

Amit Serper first analysed the OSX/Pirrit adware in 2016, highlighting some of its malware-like techniques, and soon afterwards started receiving legal threats from the company behind it. At VB2018 Amit gave a presentation in which he discussed both the a…
OSX/Pirrit was first analysed in 2016 by Cybereason's Amit Serper in a guest blog post for the Objective See blog. It is an interesting and technically thorough analysis of a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/vb2018-video-adware-just-malware-legal-department-how-we-reverse-engineered-osxpirrit-received-legal-threats-and-survived/

VB2018 paper: Anatomy of an attack: detecting and defeating CRASHOVERRIDE

In December 2016, the CRASHOVERRIDE malware framework was used to cause a blackout in Ukraine. At VB2018 in Montreal, Dragos researcher Joe Slowik presented a detailed paper on the framework, explaining how the malware works and how it targets various pro…
Anatomy of an attack: detecting and defeating CRASHOVERRIDE Read the paper (HTML) Download the paper (PDF) If you're going to be at the RSA Conference in San… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/vb2018-paper-anatomy-attack-detecting-and-defeating-crashoverride/

VB2018 presentation: Levelling up: why sharing threat intelligence makes you more competitive

In a presentation at VB2018, Michael Daniel, President and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, outlined exactly how threat sharing strengthens a company's competitive advantage. Today we release the recording of his presentation.
Here at VB we often talk about the importance of sharing intelligence, and many of us coming into the industry for the first time have been genuinely surprised by the willingness… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/03/vb2018-presentation-levelling-why-sharing-threat-intelligence-makes-you-more-competitive/

VB2018 paper: The modality of mortality in domain names

Domains play a crucial role in most cyber attacks, from the very advanced to the very mundane. Today, we publish a VB2018 paper by Paul Vixie (Farsight Security) who undertook the first systematic study into the lifetimes of newly registered domains.
The modality of mortality in domain names Read the paper (HTML) Download the paper (PDF) Have you carried out research that furthers our understanding of… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/02/vb2018-paper-modality-mortality-domain-names/

VB2018 paper: Analysing compiled binaries using logic

Constraint programming is a lesser-known technique that is becoming increasingly popular among malware analysts. In a paper presented at VB2018 Thaís Moreira Hamasaki presented an overview of the technique and explained how it can be applied to the analys…
Analysing compiled binaries using logic Read the paper (HTML) Download the paper (PDF) Static analysis of malware is usually "done by a person (a security analyst) who… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/02/vb2018-paper-analysing-compiled-binaries-using-logic/

Virus Bulletin encourages experienced speakers and newcomers alike to submit proposals for VB2019

With a little less than a month before the deadline of the call for papers for VB2019, Virus Bulletin encourages submissions from experienced speakers and newcomers alike.
There is a little less than a month left until the deadline (17 March) of the call for papers for VB2019, the 29th Virus Bulletin International Conference. Over almost three… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/02/virus-bulletin-encourages-experienced-speakers-and-newcomers-alike-submit-proposals-vb2019/

VB2018 paper: Internet balkanization: why are we raising borders online?

At VB2018 in Montreal, Ixia researcher Stefan Tanase presented a thought-provoking paper on the current state of the Internet and the worrying tendency towards raising borders and restricting the flow of information. Today we publish both his paper and th…
Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, said "I hope we use the Net to cross barriers and connect cultures". Yet increasingly we are seeing barriers being raised not… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/02/vb2018-paper-internet-balkanization-why-are-we-raising-borders-online/

VB2018 paper: Where have all the good hires gone?

The cybersecurity skills gap has been described as one of the biggest challenges facing IT leaders today. At VB2018 in Montreal, ESET's Lysa Myers outlined some of the things the industry can do to help address the problem. Today we publish Lysa's paper a…
Did you see we have opened the Call for Papers for VB2019 in London? Submit your abstract before 17 March for a chance to make it onto the programme of one of the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/02/vb2018-paper-where-have-all-good-hires-gone/

Preview: Nullcon 2019

We look forward the Nullcon 2019 conference in Goa, India, at which VB Editor Martijn Grooten will give a talk on the state of malware.
Does it matter that the number of new malware samples keeps growing? What does the meteoric rise in cryptocurrency malware indicate? Why is there barely any malware on iOS? Which… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/02/preview-nullcon-2019/

VB2018 paper: Inside Formbook infostealer

The Formbook information-stealing trojan may not be APT-grade malware, but its continuing spread means it can still be effective. At VB2018 in Montreal, Gabriela Nicolao, a researcher from Deloitte in Argentina, presented a short paper in which she looked…
The Formbook information-stealing trojan has been spread by a number of recent spam campaigns. The malware was advertised in hacking forums as long ago as January 2016, but wasn't… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/01/vb2018-paper-inside-formbook-infostealer/

The VB2019 CFP - how the selection procedure works

With the VB2019 Call for Papers having opened last week, we explain how the selection procedure works, which may help you during your abstract submission.
Last week, we opened the call for papers for VB2019, which is to take place 2-4 October in London, UK. The deadline for the call for papers is Sunday 17 March. We are often… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/01/vb2019-cfp-how-selection-procedure-works/

VB2018 paper: From Hacking Team to hacked team to…?

Today we publish the VB2018 paper and video by ESET researcher Filip Kafka, who looked at the new malware by Hacking Team, after the company had recovered from the 2015 breach.
It is good practice not to mock or laugh at hacking victims. But when the victim is a company that itself is in the business of hacking and has a habit of selling its products and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/01/vb2018-paper-hacking-team-hacked-team/

VB2019 call for papers - now open!

Have you analysed a new online threat? Do you know a new way to defend against such threats? Are you tasked with securing systems and fending off attacks? The call for papers for VB2019 is now open and we want to hear from you!
The call for papers for VB2019, the 29th Virus Bulletin International Conference, which will take place in London, UK, 2-4 October 2019, is now open! We welcome submissions on… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/01/vb2019-call-papers-now-open/

VB2018 paper: Draw me like one of your French APTs – expanding our descriptive palette for cyber threat actors

Today, we publish the VB2018 paper by Chronicle researcher Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade, who argues we should change the way we talk about APT actors.
IT security research stumbled into the world of nation-state intelligence operations more or less by accident. In a now classic VB2015 paper, Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade discussed… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2019/01/vb2018-paper-draw-me-one-your-french-apts-expanding-our-descriptive-palette-cyber-threat-actors/

VB2018 paper: Office bugs on the rise

At VB2018 Sophos researcher Gábor Szappanos provided a detailed overview of Office exploit builders, and looked in particular at the widely exploited CVE-2017-0199. Today we publish his paper and release the video of his presentation.
A large portion of today's malware infections use malicious Office documents as a first-stage payload. Typically, the user is tricked into enabling macros or disabling some… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2018/12/vb2018-paper-office-bugs-rise/

VB2018 video: The Big Bang Theory by APT-C-23

Today, we release the video of the VB2018 presentation by Check Point researcher Aseel Kayal, who connected the various dots relating to campaigns by the APT-C-23 threat group.
The APT-C-23 group, which targets users in the Middle East and in particular in the State of Palestine, was named and first reported on by 360 in a Chinese language blog post in… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2018/12/vb2018-video-big-bang-theory-apt-c-23/

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