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Nov 04
2008
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Security - Virtual Heist Nets 500,000+ Bank, Credit AccountsPosted by: Brian Brugger on Nov 04, 2008 Tagged in: Technology , Security
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Copy this link to your browser for the full article... but I’ll shorten it for you.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/10/virtual_bank_heist_nets_500000.html?nav=rss_blog
A single cyber crime group has stolen more than a half million bank, credit and debit card accounts over the past two-and-a-half years using one of the most advanced strains of computer spyware in existence, according to research to be published today. The discovery is among the largest stolen data caches ever recovered.
How does it work?
Researchers at RSA's FraudAction Research Lab unearthed the massive trove of purloined data while tracking the activities of a family of spyware known as the "Sinowal" Trojan, designed to steal data from Microsoft Windows PCs.
Sinowal also is unique in that hides in the deepest recesses of a host computer, an area known as the "Master Boot Record." The MBR is akin to a computer's table of contents, a file system that loads even before the operating system boots up. According to security experts, many anti-virus programs will remain oblivious to such a fundamental compromise. What's more, completely removing the Trojan from an infected machine often requires reformatting the system and wiping any data stored on it.
How did it spread?
The makers of Sinowal typically have spread their Trojan by sewing malicious code into the fabric of large numbers of legitimate, hacked Web sites. When an unsuspecting Windows user visits one of these sites, the code left on the site tries to install the Trojan using one of several known Web browser security holes, such as vulnerabilities found in popular video and music player plug-ins like Macromedia Flash and Apple's QuickTime player.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/10/virtual_bank_heist_nets_500000.html?nav=rss_blog
A single cyber crime group has stolen more than a half million bank, credit and debit card accounts over the past two-and-a-half years using one of the most advanced strains of computer spyware in existence, according to research to be published today. The discovery is among the largest stolen data caches ever recovered.
How does it work?
Researchers at RSA's FraudAction Research Lab unearthed the massive trove of purloined data while tracking the activities of a family of spyware known as the "Sinowal" Trojan, designed to steal data from Microsoft Windows PCs.
Sinowal also is unique in that hides in the deepest recesses of a host computer, an area known as the "Master Boot Record." The MBR is akin to a computer's table of contents, a file system that loads even before the operating system boots up. According to security experts, many anti-virus programs will remain oblivious to such a fundamental compromise. What's more, completely removing the Trojan from an infected machine often requires reformatting the system and wiping any data stored on it.
How did it spread?
The makers of Sinowal typically have spread their Trojan by sewing malicious code into the fabric of large numbers of legitimate, hacked Web sites. When an unsuspecting Windows user visits one of these sites, the code left on the site tries to install the Trojan using one of several known Web browser security holes, such as vulnerabilities found in popular video and music player plug-ins like Macromedia Flash and Apple's QuickTime player.
