VB Blog

VBSpam tests to be executed under the AMTSO framework

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Jun 24, 2024

VB is excited to announce that, starting from the Q3 test, all VBSpam tests of email security products will be executed under the AMTSO framework.

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In memoriam: Prof. Ross Anderson

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Apr 2, 2024

We were very sorry to learn of the passing of Professor Ross Anderson a few days ago.

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In memoriam: Dr Alan Solomon

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Feb 14, 2024

We were very sorry to learn of the passing of industry pioneer Dr Alan Solomon earlier this week.

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New paper: Nexus Android banking botnet – compromising C&C panels and dissecting mobile AppInjects

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Oct 12, 2023

In a new paper, researchers Aditya K Sood and Rohit Bansal provide details of a security vulnerability in the Nexus Android botnet C&C panel that was exploited in order to gather threat intelligence, and present a model of mobile AppInjects.

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New paper: Collector-stealer: a Russian origin credential and information extractor

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Dec 8, 2021

In a new paper, F5 researchers Aditya K Sood and Rohit Chaturvedi present a 360 analysis of Collector-stealer, a Russian-origin credential and information extractor.

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VB2021 localhost videos available on YouTube

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Nov 4, 2021

VB has made all VB2021 localhost presentations available on the VB YouTube channel, so you can now watch - and share - any part of the conference freely and without registration.

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VB2021 localhost is over, but the content is still available to view!

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Oct 11, 2021

VB2021 localhost - VB's second virtual conference - took place last week, but you can still watch all the presentations.

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VB2021 localhost call for last-minute papers

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Aug 2, 2021

The call for last-minute papers for VB2021 localhost is now open. Submit before 20 August to have your paper considered for one of the slots reserved for 'hot' research!

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New article: Run your malicious VBA macros anywhere!

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Apr 21, 2021

Kurt Natvig explains how he recompiled malicious VBA macro code to valid harmless Python 3.x code.

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New article: Dissecting the design and vulnerabilities in AZORult C&C panels

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Apr 7, 2021

In a new article, Aditya K Sood looks at the command-and-control (C&C) design of the AZORult malware, discussing his team's findings related to the C&C design and some security issues they identified.

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Quick impressions from BSides Budapest

At Virus Bulletin, we love the BSides concept and we have attended several of the BSides events around the world. So when Peter Karsai, who is soon to join the VB team, offered to write about his experience at BSides Budapest, we jumped at the chance to p…
At Virus Bulletin, we love the BSides concept and we have attended several of the BSides events around the world. So when Peter Karsai, who is soon to join the VB team, offered to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/03/quick-impressions-bsides-budapest/

First sponsors of VB2017 announced

We are excited to announce the first five sponsors of VB2017, companies based in Europe, Asia and North America.
We are proud of the fact that the Virus Bulletin Conference is one of the industry's most international security conferences, with speakers and attendees coming together from all… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/03/first-sponsors-vb2017-announced/

Security products and HTTPS: let's do it better

A recent paper showed that many HTTPS-intercepting security solutions have implemented TLS rather poorly. Does that mean we should avoid such solutions altogether?
It is one of the most hotly discussed topics in the security community: is it acceptable for a security product to intercept encrypted HTTP communication (HTTPS) to analyse its… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/security-products-and-https-lets-do-it-better/

The SHA-1 hashing algorithm has been 'shattered'

Researchers from Google and CWI Amsterdam have created the first known collision of the SHA-1 hashing algorithm, making a very strong case to ditch it.
Researchers from Google and CWI Amsterdam have created the first publicly known SHA-1 collision. SHA-1 is a hashing algorithm: it turns data of arbitrary size (such as a string… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/sha-1-hashing-algorithm-has-been-shattered/

Throwback Thursday: Once a researcher...

VB was saddened to learn this week of the passing of one of the pioneers of the AV industry, Ross Greenberg. This Throwback Thursday we look back at an interview with Ross in November 1995.
VB was saddened to learn this week of the passing of one of the pioneers of the AV industry, Ross M. Greenberg.   Ross Greenberg, author of Flushot, Virex PC, and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/throwback-thursday-once-researcher/

VB2017: What is happening in the threat landscape and what are we doing against it? Submit a proposal in the VB2017 CFP!

Have you analysed a new online threat? Do you know a new way to defend against such threats? Then submit an abstract in the CFP for VB2017!
There are four weeks (minus one day) until the Call for Papers for VB2017 closes. The Virus Bulletin International Conference is one of the longest running and most prestigious… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/vb2017-what-happening-and-what-are-we-doing-against-it-submit-now-cfp/

VB2016 paper: APT reports and OPSEC evolution, or: these are not the APT reports you are looking for

APT reports are great for gaining an understanding of how advanced attack groups operate - however, they can also provide free QA for the threat actors. Today, we publish a VB2016 paper by Gadi Evron (Cymmetria) and Inbar Raz (Perimeter X), who discuss wh…
Ever since Mandiant released its APT1 report four years ago, reports on advanced attack groups have been an important fixture in the security industry. These reports are great for… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/vb2016-paper-apt-reports-and-opsec-evolution-or-these-are-not-apt-reports-you-are-looking/

Security for your ears: recommended infosec podcasts

Industry veteran Mikko Hyppönen recently urged would-be security researchers to ditch their favourite pop music and listen to security podcasts on their commute to work instead. Virus Bulletin Editor Martijn Grooten shares his favourite security podcasts.
"Don't waste your commute listening to pop music. Listen to infosec lectures and podcasts." Industry veteran Mikko Hyppönen recently shared some useful advice for those wanting to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/security-podcasts-worth-listening/

VB2016 video: Getting duped: piggybacking on webcam streams for surreptitious recordings

In a presentation at VB2016, Patrick Wardle, Director of Research at Synack, discussed the possibilities of Mac malware recording the user via the webcam. Today, we publish the video of Patrick's presentation.
If you are going to be at RSA in San Francisco next week, we highly recommend you attend Patrick Wardle's talk on OS X malware in 2016 – not just because it is important for Mac… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/vb2016-video-last-minute-paper-getting-duped-piggybacking-webcam-streams-surreptitious-recordings/

We shouldn't forget those most vulnerable in our digital world

Virus Bulletin Editor Martijn Grooten calls for the security community not to forget those most vulnerable in the digital world, including political activists living under oppressive regimes, and victims of abuse.
The new UK government has passed a far-reaching surveillance law. The new US government has stripped privacy rights from non-citizens. Surely, those who have warned about the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/we-shouldnt-forget-those-most-vulnerable-our-digital-world/

Throwback Thursday: A troubled world

In early 1991, the world was a troubled place and conflict and violence were being reported globally on a daily basis. With this as a backdrop, the world of "indiscriminate" computer viruses which "victimise in a random and unpredictable manner" seemed re…
In early 1991, the world was a troubled place – President George H. W. Bush had just announced the start of military Operation Desert Storm and conflict and violence were being… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/throwback-thursday-troubled-world/

VB2016 video: Nymaim: the Untold Story

Until very recently, the Nymaim banking trojan was a serious problem in Poland. Today, we publish the video of the VB2016 presentation by CERT Polska researchers Jarosław Jedynak and Maciej Kotowicz, in which they analyse this malware-dropper-turned-banki…
Every year, the Virus Bulletin conference programme includes a number of 'last-minute' papers: presentations on topics that are so hot, they are added to the programme only a few… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/02/vb2016-video-nymaim-untold-story/

The Living Dead Anti-Virus

Should users uninstall their anti-virus products, as was recently suggested by a security expert in a widely shared article? In a guest post, security consultant Hendrik Pilz explains why he doesn't think this is a good idea.
A former director of testing at AV-TEST and a one-time VB conference speaker, security consultant Hendrik Pilz is passionate about the quality of security products. In a guest… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/01/living-dead-anti-virus/

Paper: The journey and evolution of God Mode in 2016: CVE-2016-0189

In a new paper published by Virus Bulletin, FireEye researchers Ankit Anubhav and Manish Sardiwal analyse the 'God Mode' vulnerability CVE-2016-0189 in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
While avoiding the use of Flash is good advice for helping to fend off exploit kits, some of the vulnerabilities exploited by these kits actually target the browsers themselves.… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/01/paper-journey-and-evolution-god-mode-2016-cve-2016-0189/

VB2016 video: Neverquest: Crime as a Service and On the Hunt for the Big Bucks

At VB2016, Peter Kruse gave a presentation detailing the Neverquest trojan, the alleged author of which was arrested in Spain earlier this month. Today, we publish the recording of Peter's presentation.
Earlier this month, Spanish police officers arrested a Russian national on suspicion of creating the Neverquest banking trojan. Neverquest, also known as Vawtrak, is one of the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/01/vb2016-video-neverquest-crime-service-and-hunt-big-bucks/

VB2016 paper: Great crypto failures

Crypto is hard, and malware authors often make mistakes. At VB2016, Check Point researchers Yaniv Balmas and Ben Herzog discussed the whys and hows of some of the crypto blunders made by malware authors. Today, we publish their paper and the recording of …
"More malware is using cryptography, and more malware is using better cryptography," said Check Point researcher Yaniv Balmas on stage during VB2016. While the increased use of… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/01/vb2016-paper-great-crypto-failures/

Call for Papers: VB2017

We have opened the Call for Papers for VB2017. We are particularly interested in receiving submissions from those working outside the security industry itself.
The call for papers for VB2017, which will take place 4-6 October in Madrid, Spain, is now open! Have you analysed a new malware campaign? Tracked an APT actor? Discovered a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/01/call-papers-vb2017/

Ransomware not a problem for half of businesses

According to a report by IBM Security, 70 per cent of businesses that are the victim of a ransomware attack end up paying the ransom. However, the report also suggests that a little over half of businesses manage to avoid getting infected at all, showing …
If you are wondering why ransomware continues to thrive, a recent study from IBM Security provides a simple explanation: 70 per cent of the ransomware-infected businesses they… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2017/01/ransomware-not-problem-half-businesses/

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