VB Blog

WordPress users urged to manually update to fix bug that prevents automatic updating

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 8, 2018

Users of the popular WordPress content management system are urged to manually update their installation to version 4.9.4, as a bug in the previous version broke the ability to automatically install updates.

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New paper: A review of the evolution of Andromeda over the years

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 7, 2018

The Andromeda botnet (aka Gamarue or Wauchos) has plagued Internet users for more than half a decade but, following a takedown effort and the arrest of the suspected botnet owner in December 2017, it is likely we have seen the end of it. In a new paper by Fortinet researchers Bahare Sabouri and He Xu, we look back at the evolution of Andromeda from version 2.06 to 2.10 and demonstrate both how it improved its loader to evade automatic analysis/detection and how the payload varied among the different versions.

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There is no evidence in-the-wild malware is using Meltdown or Spectre

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 2, 2018

Reports of malware using the Meltdown or Spectre attacks are likely based on proof-of-concept code rather than files written for a malicious purpose.

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Throwback Thursday: Malware taking a bit(coin) more than we bargained for

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 1, 2018

This Throwback Thursday, we republish the VB2012 paper by Microsoft researcher Amir Fouda, one of the earliest papers to look at malware targeting Bitcoin.

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First time speaker? Don't be afraid of submitting to the VB2018 CFP

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 31, 2018

We especially encourage those less experienced in speaking in public to submit to the call for papers for VB2018, where we aim to provide a friendly and welcoming environment in which people can both present their own research and learn from what others have been working on.

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VB2017 paper: VirusTotal tips, tricks and myths

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 25, 2018

At VB2017 in Madrid, security researcher Randy Abrams presented an overview of the VirusTotal service and then went on to bust several of the persistent myths that surround it. Today we publish both Randy's paper and the recording of his presentation.

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Healthcare CERTs highlight the need for security guidance for specific sectors

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 24, 2018

A new computer emergency response team has been launched in the Netherlands to provide guidance specifically tailored to the healthcare sector. Martijn Grooten welcomes the development.

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VB2018 call for papers now open!

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 23, 2018

Have you analysed a new online threat? Do you know a new way to defend against such threats? Are you tasked with securing systems and fending off attacks? The call for papers for VB2018 is now open and we want to hear from you!

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Book review: Serious Cryptography

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 22, 2018

VB Editor Martijn Grooten recommends Jean-Philippe Aumasson's 'Serious Cryptography' as a very solid but practically focused introduction to cryptography.

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Necurs pump-and-dump spam campaign pushes obscure cryptocurrency

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 16, 2018

A Necurs pump-and-dump spam campaign pushing the lesser known Swisscoin botnet is mostly background noise for the Internet.

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September

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/09/

September issue of VB published

The September issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The September issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The September 2011 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/09/september-issue-vb-published/

Researchers find email used in RSA hack

Email with malicious attachment uploaded to online scanning service
Email with malicious attachment uploaded to online scanning service Researchers at F-Secure have managed to obtain the file used in the targeted attack against security vendor RSA… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/researchers-find-email-used-rsa-hack/

Explosive growth of malicious spam

Spam filters less likely to block current malware campaigns.
Spam filters less likely to block current malware campaigns. While several reports show that the global levels of spam have seen a steady decline over the past year, this month has… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/explosive-growth-malicious-spam/

Spam sent via fake out-of-office messages

'Sick leave' message followed by weight loss spam.
'Sick leave' message followed by weight loss spam. In an apparently new way of spreading their messages, spammers are advertising their products via fake out-of-office replies.… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/spam-sent-fake-out-office-messages/

Fake codec trojan disables anti-virus software

Victim tricked into believing security software still active.
Victim tricked into believing security software still active. A new trojan, discovered by researchers at ESET, spreads itself via fake codecs, then disables running anti-virus… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/fake-codec-trojan-disables-anti-virus-software/

Banking malware tells user to 'refund' money

Web injection used to suggest accidental transfer.
Web injection used to suggest accidental transfer. In a new twist to banking trojans, a piece of malware found on German computers tricks victims into believing a large amount has… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/banking-malware-tells-user-refund-money/

August

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/

August issue of VB published

The August issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The August issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The August 2011 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/08/august-issue-vb-published/

AV-Test.org unveils latest certifications

Q2 test results covering 22 products released.
Q2 test results covering 22 products released. Independent testing body AV-Test.org has released the results of its latest round of testing, putting 22 of the latest security… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/av-test-org-unveils-latest-certifications/

Rogue Twitter application steals passwords

'See who stalks my Twitter' used to lure users.
'See who stalks my Twitter' used to lure users. A malicious Twitter application is currently spreading on the microblogging network, luring users to hand over their passwords,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/rogue-twitter-application-steals-passwords/

Trojan uses remote user account to control compromised machine

Malware targets customers of Brazilian banks.
Malware targets customers of Brazilian banks. Researchers at Kaspersky have discovered a piece of malware aimed at customers of Brazilian banks which creates a remote user account… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/trojan-uses-remote-user-account-control-compromised-machine/

Hotmail beefs up security with stricter password policy

'My friend has been spammed' button also welcomed by experts.
'My friend has been spammed' button also welcomed by experts.Microsoft's free webmail service Hotmail has introduced some new features which should make it less likely for its… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/hotmail-beefs-security-stricter-password-policy/

Latest VBSpam certification results published

Latest VBSpam results published - full report now also available.
Latest VBSpam results published - full report now also available. The results of the July VBSpam comparative review have been announced. The 14th VBSpam test showed both a number… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/latest-vbspam-certification-results-published/

Zitmo trojan for Android defeats two-factor authentication

Malware intercepts TANs sent via SMS.
Malware intercepts TANs sent via SMS. A new variant of the Zitmo trojan has been discovered that infects mobile devices running the Android platform and which intercepts SMS… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/zitmo-trojan-android-defeats-two-factor-authentication/

Google delists all .co.cc domains from its index

Large fraction of sites deemed 'spammy or low-quality'.
Large fraction of sites deemed 'spammy or low-quality'.Google has removed all sites running on subdomains of .co.cc from its search engine index as the company believes too large a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/google-delists-all-co-cc-domains-its-index/

July

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/

July issue of VB published

The July issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The July issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The July 2011 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or download… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/07/july-issue-vb-published/

Spammers using social network templates

Templates from social networking sites used to make messages appear legitimate.
Templates from social networking sites used to make messages appear legitimate. According to Symantec, spammers are increasingly using templates from social networking sites to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/06/spammers-using-social-network-templates/

International co-operation leads to scareware arrests

ChronoPay co-founder arrested for DDoS attacks on rivals.
ChronoPay co-founder arrested for DDoS attacks on rivals. Last week, Russian authorities arrested Pavel Vrublevsky, co-founder of ChronoPay, Russia's largest processor of online… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2011/06/international-co-operation-leads-scareware-arrests/

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