ZeroAccess Botnet Cashing in on Click Fraud and Bitcoin Mining

A mid-year switch in communication protocol and distribution strategy is behind a spike in activity from the ZeroAccess botnet, a prolific and malicious ad click fraud network. Researchers at Kindsight Security Lab reported today that ZeroAccess accounts for 29 percent of home network infections ...

Alureon Rootkit Morphs Again, Adds Steganography

The Alureon rootkit has become not just a major headache for its victims, with its insidious infection routines and persistence once on a machine. But it also has proved to be a challenge for researchers engaged in trying to identify new versions and unwind its new tactics and techniques. The...

TDSS rootkit infects 1.5 million US computers

TDSS rootkit infects 1.5 million US computers Millions of PCs around the world infected by the dangerous TDSS 'super-malware' rootkit as part of a campaign to build a giant new botnet. The report is presented by researchers from security firm Kaspersky Lab. TDSS also known as 'TDL' and sometimes ...

New Version of Alureon Ups the Ante on Encryption

A new version of the venerable Alureon malware has appeared, and this one includes some odd behavior designed to prevent analysis and detection by antimalware systems. However, this isn’t the typical evasion algorithm, as it uses some unusual encryption and decryption routines to make life much...

Fake AVG: Scam Software Cops Name and Logo of Real AV

We’ve noted for a while that the practices of rogue antivirus software have started to mimic those of legitimate antivirus software vendors. But a new version of FakeXPA scareware take things a bit further: posing as a legitimate commercial AV package, AVG Antivirus 2011. Microsoft’s Malware...

Rootkit Variant Now Targets 64-Bit Windows

Alureon rootkit is back, and has acquired the ability to hijack computers running 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows, proclaimed security researcher Marco Giuliani. Read the full article. Help Net Security...

Microsoft Battles Alureon Rootkit

For the second month in a row, Microsoft has tried to eradicate a mutating rootkit that has blocked some Windows users from installing security updates. Read the full article. Computerworld...

MS10-015 Restart Issues Are the Result of Rootkit Infection

Microsoft on Thursday confirmed that the blue screen of death issues that affected a slew of users after the latest batch of Patch Tuesday updates is the result of an existing infection by the Alureon rootkit. There was widespread speculation after the patch release that simply installing the...