User:Scots Don/Zeus botnet

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Notes[edit]

Key recent stories/events:

Trend Micro Threat Encyclopedia

I am trying to get a UK contact with trend micro to pass over the samples of the malware that I have. These indicate that all of the above reports grossly underrepresent the sophistication of this little bugger, and what it targets. [Hopefully, getting that to them and doing an article will get the house back online fairly quickly.] Here's the scary: Zeus infects everything. PCs, Linux boxes, probably MACs too. It can spread via USB sticks, and anything that connects wirelessly. Crazy shit. I'm sitting here with a NETGEAR wireless router that will compromise a PC built from-scratch using a 9.10 Ubuntu CD. Effectively, it serves up a js 'sploit when you connect to the router to enter connection details to get online.

I assume it, then, uploads custom firmware to the router so that any anti-virus solution is rendered useless.]

  • I am going to contact Trend Micro about this.

Text[edit]

On the 15nd of this month, a handful of antivirus vendors published new fingerprints to identify a new version of what is best-known as the Zeus botnet. This smart piece of malicious software has been a long-running, and persistent nuisance to a wide range of 'net users. It has, additionally, been a serious threat to those who choose to bank or shop online.

Wikinews reporter, Brian McNeil was alerted to a problem a few days later; on Saturday 17, a Windows-based PC in the house issued a cry for help, the Avira package running on the system had just detected a piece of malware; Full scans indicated several known pieces of malware, and numerous hidden files. Additional scans revealed that all but one of the USB memory sticks and portable hard drives in the house were infected with something. The Zeus botnet, as it turned out.