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[News] Infecting the MBR is now back in fashion

  • Subject: [News] Infecting the MBR is now back in fashion
  • From: The Ghost In The Machine <ewill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 18:23:11 -0800
  • Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
  • User-agent: slrn/0.9.8.1 (Linux)
  • Xref: ellandroad.demon.co.uk comp.os.linux.advocacy:592917
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7183008.stm

    Warning on stealthy Windows virus

    Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows
    virus that steals login details for online bank
    accounts.

    In the last month, the malicious program has racked
    up about 5,000 victims - most of whom are in Europe.

    Many are falling victim via booby-trapped websites
    that use vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser to
    install the attack code.

    Experts say the virus is dangerous because it buries
    itself deep inside Windows to avoid detection.

    Old tricks

    The malicious program is a type of virus known as a
    rootkit and it tries to overwrite part of a computer's
    hard drive called the Master Boot Record (MBR).

    This is where a computer looks when it is switched
    on for information about the operating system it will
    be running.

    [...]

    Once installed the virus, dubbed Mebroot by Symantec,
    usually downloads other malicious programs, such as
    keyloggers, to do the work of stealing confidential
    information.

    [...]

    Although the password-stealing programs that Mebroot
    installs can be found by security software, few
    commercial anti-virus packages currently detect its
    presence. Mebroot cannot be removed while a computer
    is running.

    Independent security firm GMER has produced a utility
    that will scan and remove the stealthy program.

    Computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows
    Server 2003 and Windows 2000 that are not fully patched
    are all vulnerable to the virus.

[end excerpt]

Yipes.  Again.

[1] Will Microsoft's patches work against this horror?

[2] Will Microsoft want to use this virus as an excuse to
implement Trusted Computing?

[3] Will GRUB or LILO be counted thereby as a "virus"?

[4] Can we scream loudly enough? ;-)

Stay tuned.

-- 
#191, ewill3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
People think that libraries are safe.  They're wrong.  They have ideas.
(Also occasionally ectoplasmic slime and cute librarians.)

-- 
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com


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