VB Blog

We are more ready for IPv6 email than we may think

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jun 21, 2018

Though IPv6 is gradually replacing IPv4 on the Internet's network layer, email is lagging behind, the difficulty in blocking spam sent over IPv6 cited as a reason not to move. But would we really have such a hard time blocking spam sent over IPv6?

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Subtle change could see a reduction in installation of malicious Chrome extensions

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jun 13, 2018

Google has made a subtle change to its Chrome browser, banning the inline installation of new extensions, thus making it harder for malware authors to trick users into unwittingly installing malicious extensions.

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Paper: EternalBlue: a prominent threat actor of 2017–2018

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jun 11, 2018

We publish a paper by researchers from Quick Heal Security Labs in India, who study the EternalBlue and DoublePulsar exploits in full detail.

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'North Korea' a hot subject among VB2018 talks

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Jun 1, 2018

Several VB2018 papers deal explicitly or implicitly with threats that have been attributed to North Korean actors.

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Expired domain led to SpamCannibal's blacklist eating the whole world

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   May 31, 2018

The domain of the little-used SpamCannibal DNS blacklist had expired, resulting in it effectively listing every single IP address.

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MnuBot banking trojan communicates via SQL server

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   May 30, 2018

Researchers at IBM X-Force have discovered MnuBot, a banking trojan targeting users in Brazil, which is noteworthy for using SQL Server for command and control communication.

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Throwback Thursday: Giving the EICAR test file some teeth

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   May 24, 2018

The 68-byte EICAR test file plays as important a role today as it did 19 years ago. In this week's Throwback Thursday we look back at a VB99 conference paper in which Randy Abrams described how this 'miracle tool' worked and how it could be used.

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XMRig used in new macOS cryptominer

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   May 23, 2018

A new piece of cryptocurrency-mining malware on macOS has been found to use the popular XMRig miner.

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Tendency for DDoS attacks to become less volumetric fits in a wider trend

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   May 22, 2018

CDN provider Cloudflare reports an increase in DDoS attacks targeting layer 7 and focusing on exhausting server resources rather than sending large volumes of data. This fits in a wider trend.

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Turkish Twitter users targeted with mobile FinFisher spyware

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   May 15, 2018

Through fake social media accounts, users were tricked into installing an Android application that was actually a mobile version of the FinFisher spyware.

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Festive greetings

Yuletide wishes.
Yuletide wishes. The VB team wishes all Virus Bulletin readers a very happy Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful new year. This year, continuing the tradition of its Christmas… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/12/festive-greetings/

Anti-spammer loses case

Anti-spam activist sued in case that brings enforceability of state anti-spam laws into question.
Anti-spam activist sued in case that brings enforceability of state anti-spam laws into question. An anti-spam activist has successfully been sued in a US federal court by the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/12/anti-spammer-loses-case/

Worm targets old Symantec hole

Long-patched vulnerability attacked by new Spybot.
Long-patched vulnerability attacked by new Spybot. A version of the Spybot worm has been spotted attempting to use a vulnerability in Symantec Client Security and Symantec… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/worm-targets-old-symantec-hole/

Europe facing 38 billion spams a day by 2010

Research group releases report on future spam trends.
Research group releases report on future spam trends. Technology market research firm The Radicati Group has unveiled an in-depth study of likely future trends in the European… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/europe-facing-38-billion-spams-day-2010/

EU demands better spam and malware fighting

Commission report calls for smarter response to online onslaught.
Commission report calls for smarter response to online onslaught. An official statement from the European Commission has demanded a step up in the battle against spam, spyware and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/eu-demands-better-spam-and-malware-fighting/

Vulnerability hits F-Secure gateway products

Flaw in OpenSSL could allow DoS on servers.
Flaw in OpenSSL could allow DoS on servers. A vulnerability in OpenSSL software, used to access the administration interface in some F-Secure gateway and mail protection products,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/vulnerability-hits-f-secure-gateway-products/

Severe vulnerability hits Mac OSX

Exploit published for gaping DMG hole.
Exploit published for gaping DMG hole. A serious vulnerability found in the DMG handling on fully up-to-date installations of Apple's OSX is threatening to upset the platform's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/severe-vulnerability-hits-mac-osx/

Spyware pushers let off fines

FTC reduces punishment for crooks 'unable to pay'.
FTC reduces punishment for crooks 'unable to pay'. Two spyware operations have settled lawsuits brought against them by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at a huge discount. The… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/spyware-pushers-let-fines/

Spammers and phishers target Christmas shoppers

Online shoppers and email users face heightened festive risks.
Online shoppers and email users face heightened festive risks. With the annual Christmas spending frenzy fast approaching, phishing is as usual on the rise, targeting inexperienced… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/spammers-and-phishers-target-christmas-shoppers/

McAfee in anti-phishing confusion

Latest study rates all filters poorly, slates SiteAdvisor.
Latest study rates all filters poorly, slates SiteAdvisor. In two recent studies of anti-phishing technologies, one (sponsored by Microsoft) rated Internet Explorer highest, while… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/mcafee-anti-phishing-confusion/

ISS to integrate BitDefender

Big Blue adds anti-virus and anti-spyware to desktop security product.
Big Blue adds anti-virus and anti-spyware to desktop security product.IBM announced yesterday that its Internet Security Systems (ISS) subsidiary will be including anti-virus and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/iss-integrate-bitdefender/

Zango still in spyware game

Dodgy tactics continue despite ruling.
Dodgy tactics continue despite ruling. Several researchers have complained that adware-fuelled media company Zango continues to use deceptive practices, despite the recent case… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/zango-still-spyware-game/

UK toughens law against DoS, tools

New law ups penalties for hacking, but could threaten security research.
New law ups penalties for hacking, but could threaten security research. The UK 'Police and Justice Bill 2006', introduced into UK law this month, has drawn some approval for its… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/uk-toughens-law-against-dos-tools/

Trojan planted on Chinese banking site

Backdoor dropper sneaked onto bank card operator's servers.
Backdoor dropper sneaked onto bank card operator's servers. News sources in China are reporting that the website of China UnionPay, a China-wide cross-bank credit card service used… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/trojan-planted-chinese-banking-site/

Patch Tuesday vulnerability exploited

Attack developed within two days of disclosure.
Attack developed within two days of disclosure. The Workstation Service flaw announced and patched on Tuesday, one of the most critical vulnerabilities covered by Microsoft's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/patch-tuesday-vulnerability-exploited/

Worm targets Real Media files

McAfee warns of dangerous movies and music.
McAfee warns of dangerous movies and music. Researchers at McAfee's Avert Labs have warned of a new worm, dubbed 'W32/Realor', which doctors the contents of Real Media files… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/worm-targets-real-media-files/

Firefox anti-phishing better, says Mozilla

Browser phishing filters battle for supremacy.
Browser phishing filters battle for supremacy.Mozilla has released results of an independently run test of phishing filters, in which its latest product, Firefox 2.0, is compared… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/firefox-anti-phishing-better-says-mozilla/

Panda vulnerabilities revealed

ActiveScan remote access holes patched, details disclosed.
ActiveScan remote access holes patched, details disclosed. Several vulnerabilites have been found in Panda Software's ActiveScan product. The problems could be used to initiate a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/panda-vulnerabilities-revealed/

Mobile firewalls released

Trend, F-Secure add extra layer to smartphone security.
Trend, F-Secure add extra layer to smartphone security. Two new products have been unveiled this week offering firewall protection for smartphones and PDAs, with both Trend Micro… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/mobile-firewalls-released/

AVG, F-PROT suffer vulnerabilities

Reports of buffer overflows and other problems.
Reports of buffer overflows and other problems. A series of vulnerabilities have been discovered and patched in Grisoft's AVG Antivirus. Several issues with archive handling could… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2006/11/avg-f-prot-suffer-vulnerabilities/

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