Monthly Archives: October 2010

Bredolab Mastermind Was Key Spamit.com Affiliate

October 30, 2010

The man arrested in Armenia last week for allegedly operating the massive “Bredolab” botnet — a network of some 30 million hacked Microsoft Windows PCs that were rented out to cyber crooks — appears to have generated much of his clientele as a key affiliate of Spamit.com, the global spamming operation whose members are blamed for sending a majority of the world’s pharmaceutical spam.

Demystifying KB976902, a.k.a. Microsoft’s “Blackhole” Update

October 28, 2010

I’ve received several e-mails from readers concerned about a mysterious, undocumented software patch that Microsoft began offering to Windows 7 users through Windows Update this week. Readers were nervous about this patch because it lacks any real description of its function, and what little documentation there is about it says that it cannot be removed once installed, and that it may be required as a prerequisite for installing future updates.

Koobface Worm Targets Java on Mac OS X

October 27, 2010

A new version of the infamous Koobface worm designed to attack Mac OS X computers is spreading through Facebook and other social networking sites, security experts warn.

Security software maker Intego says this Mac OS X version of the Koobface worm is being served as part of a multi-platform attack that uses a malicious Java applet to attack users. According to Intego, the apple includes a prompt to install the malicious software:

SpyEye v. ZeuS Rivalry Ends in Quiet Merger

October 24, 2010

Chatter in the hacker underground suggests that certain elements within that community have conspired to end development of the infamous ZeuS banking Trojan, and to merge its code base with that of the up-and-coming SpyEye Trojan. This Web Fraud 2.0. acquisition appears to be a bid to build a more powerful e-banking threat whose sale is restricted to a more exclusive group of crooks.

Pill Gangs Besmirch LegitScript Founder

October 21, 2010

Individuals who normally promote unlicensed, fly-by-night Internet pharmacies recently registered thousands of hardcore porn and bestiality Web sites using contact information for the founder of a company that has helped to shutter more than 10,000 of these Internet pill mills over the past year, KrebsOnSecurity.com has learned.