VB Blog

VB2018 paper: Little Brother is watching – we know all your secrets!

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 1, 2019

At VB2018 in Montreal, researchers from Fraunhofer SIT looked at privacy vulnerabilities in legitimate Android family-tracking apps that leaked location data. Today, we publish both their paper and the video of their presentation.

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Threat intelligence teams should consider recruiting journalists

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 29, 2019

Threat intelligence teams would do well to recruit journalists, whose experience is crucial in today's threat landscape.

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From HSBC to product descriptions: the malicious emails bypassing your filters

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 28, 2019

Using data from our VBSpam lab, we looked at the malicious emails that have been missed recently by a large number of email security products.

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VB2018 paper: Inside Formbook infostealer

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 25, 2019

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 at Formbook's background and history and analysed a sample of the malware. Today, we publish Gabriela's paper.

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The VB2019 CFP - how the selection procedure works

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 24, 2019

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.

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

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 18, 2019

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.

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The spam that is hardest to block is often the most damaging

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 17, 2019

We see a lot of spam in the VBSpam test lab, and we also see how well such emails are being blocked by email security products. Worryingly, it is often the emails with a malicious attachment or a phishing link that are most likely to be missed.

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Throwback Thursday: We're all doomed

Posted by   Helen Martin on   Jan 17, 2019

Mydoom turns 15 this month, and is still being seen in email attachments. This Throwback Thursday we look back to March 2004, when Gabor Szappanos tracked the rise of W32/Mydoom.

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VB2019 call for papers - now open!

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 15, 2019

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!

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VB2018 paper: Unpacking the packed unpacker: reversing an Android anti-analysis library

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 14, 2019

Today, we publish a VB2018 paper by Google researcher Maddie Stone in which she looks at one of the most interesting anti-analysis native libraries in the Android ecosystem. We also release the recording of Maddie's presentation.

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AV-Test.org issues latest round of testing results

Symantec and Microsoft outdo Trend and McAfee in live tests.
Symantec and Microsoft outdo Trend and McAfee in live tests. Independent testing organisation AV-Test.org has released its latest round of test results in a simplified format,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/av-test-org-issues-latest-round-testing-results/

Extra-large crop of updates for Patch Tuesday

Fourteen security alerts from Microsoft join two from Adobe.
Fourteen security alerts from Microsoft join two from Adobe.Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday security bulletins came out this week, featuring a chunky 14 separate alerts with many… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/extra-large-crop-updates-patch-tuesday/

Patches come thick and fast in major update spree

Monthly and out-of-band issues flood admins' to-do lists.
Monthly and out-of-band issues flood admins' to-do lists. The release of this month's Patch Tuesday security bulletins from Microsoft, with a fairly average 10 alerts covering 34… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/06/patches-come-thick-and-fast-major-update-spree/

Patch Tuesday release includes 13 bulletins

26 vulnerabilities featured in sizeable update set.
26 vulnerabilities featured in sizeable update set. After a relatively quiet January, administrators are faced with a hefty workload this week as Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/02/patch-tuesday-release-includes-13-bulletins/

IE zero-day bug fixed in Patch Tuesday updates

Serious browser bug main feature of monthly alerts, Adobe Flash issue also patched.
Serious browser bug main feature of monthly alerts, Adobe Flash issue also patched.Microsoft has released the December Patch Tuesday security bulletin, with a total of six alerts.… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/12/ie-zero-day-bug-fixed-patch-tuesday-updates/

VB100 update

Post-test analysis corrects results for MS Forefront, CA.
Post-test analysis corrects results for MS Forefront, CA. In the wake of the mammoth VB100 comparative released earlier this week, the lab team have been conducting thorough… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/12/update/

Anti-spam products do well in VB testing

VB announces anti-spam certification results.
VB announces anti-spam certification results.Virus Bulletin has announced that 12 products earned VBSpam awards in its latest round of comparative anti-spam testing. A total of 14… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/11/anti-spam-products-do-well-vb-testing/

Bumper crop of October patch releases

Busy weeks for admins as Patch Tuesday joined by Adobe fixes, and Mozilla announces plug-in checking plans.
Busy weeks for admins as Patch Tuesday joined by Adobe fixes, and Mozilla announces plug-in checking plans. This week has seen Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday release of security… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/10/bumper-crop-october-patch-releases/

Microsoft steps into free AV market

Security Essentials release creates expected storm of words.
Security Essentials release creates expected storm of words.Microsoft's release of its free Security Essentials product this week sparked the expected barrage of views and opinions… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/10/microsoft-steps-free-av-market/

Patch Tuesday brings little relief from browser exploits

Six fixes issued, but new IE zero day emerges along with Firefox flaw.
Six fixes issued, but new IE zero day emerges along with Firefox flaw.Microsoft has issued its monthly 'Patch Tuesday' security update, with some serious browser flaws patched, but… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/07/patch-tuesday-brings-little-relief-browser-exploits/

Another IE zero day exploited

Second DirectShow vulnerability in six weeks labelled 'extremely critical'.
Second DirectShow vulnerability in six weeks labelled 'extremely critical'.Microsoft has issued an advisory on a serious vulnerability in an ActiveX control in its Internet… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/07/another-ie-zero-day-exploited/

Eight fixes for April Patch Tuesday release

Five critical updates in latest monthly patch release.
Five critical updates in latest monthly patch release. The April Patch Tuesday release from Microsoft, revealed this week, contained five updates rated 'critical', as well as two… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/04/eight-fixes-april-patch-tuesday-release/

AV-Comparatives releases latest detection figures

Large collection test shows major improvement from AV giants.
Large collection test shows major improvement from AV giants. Independent testing organisation AV-Comparatives has released its latest bi-annual detection test figures, with 17… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/03/av-comparatives-releases-latest-detection-figures/

March Patch Tuesday followed by PDF viewer patches

Major kernel issue and PDF problems fixed, spreadsheet software remains vulnerable.
Major kernel issue and PDF problems fixed, spreadsheet software remains vulnerable.Microsoft released the March security bulletin this week, with the monthly Patch Tuesday updates… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/03/march-patch-tuesday-followed-pdf-viewer-patches/

MS forms anti-Conficker alliance

Industry group to combine efforts, reward offered.
Industry group to combine efforts, reward offered.Microsoft has announced a collaborative effort to combat the Conficker (aka Downadup) botnet, the widespread infection making… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/02/ms-forms-anti-conficker-alliance/

IE fixed as usual in Patch Tuesday release

Browser should be treated as special case, say some.
Browser should be treated as special case, say some. The February 'Patch Tuesday' security bulletin from Microsoft this week contained four patches, two of them marked 'Critical',… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/02/ie-fixed-usual-patch-tuesday-release/

MS report finds phishing revenues overhyped

Huge earnings may be myth, say researchers.
Huge earnings may be myth, say researchers. A report from Microsoft analysing the potential income of phishers claims that the amounts taken from duped victims of online scams may… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2009/01/ms-report-finds-phishing-revenues-overhyped/

MS to release out-of-band patch for critical IE vulnerability

Users advised to patch ASAP.
Users advised to patch ASAP.Microsoft is set to release an emergency out-of-band patch for the vulnerability in its Internet Explorer browser reported last week. Attacks via the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2008/12/ms-release-out-band-patch-critical-ie-vulnerability/

IE zero-day danger growing

Large numbers of users vulnerable to unpatched problem.
Large numbers of users vulnerable to unpatched problem. The as-yet unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, reported last week and coinciding with the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2008/12/ie-zero-day-danger-growing/

FTC goes after scareware scammers

Courts crack down on pushers of rogue anti-malware.
Courts crack down on pushers of rogue anti-malware. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a successful move to persuade a US district court to shut down a major… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2008/12/ftc-goes-after-scareware-scammers/

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