VB Blog

Avast to present technical details of CCleaner hack at VB2017

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Oct 2, 2017

The recently discovered malicious CCleaner version has become one of the biggest security stories of 2017. Two researchers from Avast, the company that had recently acquired CCleaner developer Piriform, will share the results of their investigations at VB2017 in Madrid this week.

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VB2017 preview: Walking in your enemy's shadow: when fourth-party collection becomes attribution hell

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Oct 2, 2017

We preview the VB2017 paper by Kaspersky Lab researchers Juan Andrés Guerrero-Saade and Costin Raiu on fourth-party collection and its implications for attack attribution.

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VB2017 preview: Offensive malware analysis: dissecting OSX/FruitFly.B via a custom C&C server

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 29, 2017

We preview Patrick Wardle's VB2017 paper, in which the Synack researcher analyses the mysterious OSX/FruitFly malware by setting up a custom C&C server.

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VB2017 - information for press

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 28, 2017

More than 50 security industry experts will present conference papers to their peers at VB2017 next week, and there are several papers on the programme with a certain newsworthiness. There is still time for cybersecurity journalists to apply for a press pass.

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VB2017 preview: BPH exposed - RBN never left they just adapted and evolved. Did you?

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 25, 2017

We preview the VB2017 paper by Dhia Mahjoub (OpenDNS) and Jason Passwaters (Intel471) who combine an actor-centric and a network-centric approach to analysing bulletproof hosting operations.

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Test your technical and mental limits in the VB2017 foosball tournament

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 22, 2017

As has become tradition, VB2017 will once again see a security industry table football tournament. Register your team now for some great fun and adrenaline-filled matches in between sessions in Madrid!

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The case against running Windows XP is more subtle than we think it is

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 21, 2017

Greater Manchester Police is one of many organizations still running Windows XP on some of its systems. This is bad practice, but the case against running XP is far more subtle than we often pretend it is.

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Hot FinSpy research completes VB2017 programme

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 21, 2017

Researchers from ESET have found a new way in which the FinSpy/FinFisher 'government spyware' can infect users, details of which they will present at VB2017 in Madrid.

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Transparency is essential when monitoring your users' activities

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Sep 20, 2017

Activity monitoring by security products in general, and HTTPS traffic inspection in particular, are sensitive issues in the security community. There is a time and a place for them, VB's Martijn Grooten argues, but only when they are done right.

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VB2017 preview: Android reverse engineering tools: not the usual suspects

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Sep 19, 2017

We preview the VB2017 paper by Fortinet researcher Axelle Apvrille, in which she looks at some less obvious tools for reverse engineering Android malware.

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“Cybersecurity is, at its core, a people problem,” says VB2016 keynote speaker

An interview with VB2016’s keynote speaker Christine Whalley - Director, Governance and IT Risk Management at Pfizer
  Christine Whalley is the director of governance and IT risk management at Pfizer, the American global pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York City. Not only does… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/cybersecurity-its-core-people-problem-says-vb2016-keynote-speaker/

Throwback Thursday: Following the Breadcrumbs

In 1999, Christine Orshesky described how one large organization decided to find out how and where the viruses within it were being obtained so it could do more to protect its networks.
In just under two weeks' time, Christine Whalley, Director of Information Security at Pfizer, will deliver the opening keynote address at VB2016 in Denver. Christine is no… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/throwback-thursday-following-breadcrumbs1/

VB2016 preview: Cryptography mistakes in malware

At VB2016, two talks will discuss mistakes made by malware authors in cryptographic implementations. Ben Herzog and Yaniv Balmas will present a paper in which they look at a number of these mistakes, while Malwarebytes researcher hasherezade will present …
"Don't roll your own crypto", software developers are often told: cryptography is hard and thus it is always safer to use a well-tested public library rather than writing your own… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-preview-presentations-cryptography-mistakes-malware/

GPS technology is more at risk from cyber attack than ever before, security expert demonstrates at VB2016

Next month at VB2016, HPE Security's Oleg Petrovsky will speak about attacks on GPS. We conducted a short interview with Oleg and asked him about GPS, about the conference, and about his ultimate dinner party.
An interview with VB2016 presenter Oleg Petrovsky of HPE Security research. Meeting Oleg Petrovsky, a senior anti-malware researcher at HPE Security research, is an experience.… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/turns-out-gps-technology-more-vulnerable-cyberattack-ever-security-expert-demonstrates/

BSides Denver: Join and Support the Security Community

If you are coming to VB2016 in Denver, why not spend an extra day in the Mile-High City and join the free BSides Denver conference, which takes place on Saturday?
I sometimes catch myself talking about "the security industry" and then quickly correct myself to say "the security community". For, despite the presence of big businesses and… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/bsides-denver-join-and-support-security-community/

VB2016 'Last-Minute' Papers Announced

We are excited to announce the addition of the "last-minute" papers to the VB2016 programme: nine presentations covering hot research topics, from OS X attacks to exotic APTs, breaking ransomware and the current state of BGP.
With a little over three weeks to go until VB2016, the conference programme is almost complete. We have a great selection of talks on the main programme, half a dozen Small Talks… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-last-minute-papers-announced/

VB2016 preview: Debugging and Monitoring Malware Network Activities with Haka

In a VB2016 paper, Stormshield researchers Benoit Ancel and Mehdi Talbi will present a paper on Haka, a tool that can be used to monitor and debug malware's network communications.
Although some inventive (and often quite impractical) non-network-based ways to remotely control malware have been presented, most botnets use the normal Internet connection of… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-preview-debugging-and-monitoring-malware-network-activities-haka/

Paper: Behavioural Detection and Prevention of Malware on OS X

In a new paper published through Virus Bulletin, Vincent Van Mieghem presents a novel method for detecting malware on Mac OS X, based on the system calls used by malicious software.
Though still well behind that of Windows malware, the prevalence of malware targeting OS X has increased in the past year to the point where Mac users can't assume they are safe… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/paper-behavioural-detection-and-prevention-malware-os-x/

VB2016 preview: Smart Outlets. Why We Need Responsible Disclosure!

At VB2016, four researcher from Bitdefender will present a paper in which they look at vulnerabilities in four "smart" power outlets.
If you are wondering whether you really live in the future: we need to be concerned about the security of Internet-connected power outlets. Such devices are the subject of a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-preview-smart-outlets-why-we-need-responsible-disclosure/

VB2016 preview: Uncovering the Secrets of Malvertising

Malvertising, in which legitimate ad networks are abused to silently infect users with malware, has become a real plague in recent years. A VB2016 paper by Malwarebytes researchers Jérôme Segura and Chris Boyd will look at the issue.
Two years ago, at VB2014, Bromium researcher Vadim Kotov presented a paper in which he looked at various possibilities for cybercriminals to leverage ad networks to spread… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-preview-uncovering-secrets-malvertising/

VB2016: Important Information About the Hotel

Many people have already registered for VB2016 and the conference hotel is rapidly filling up - registration for the event will remain open right up until the start of the conference, but here, we provide some advice about booking accommodation.
We are delighted that many people have already registered for VB2016, and registration for VB2016 will remain open right up until the start of the conference. However, the large… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-important-information-about-hotel/

VB2016 preview: Detecting Man-in-the-Middle Attacks With Canary Requests

At VB2016, Cylance researcher Brian Wallace will reveal a multi-platform tool that runs on the endpoint and uses various techniques to detect ongoing man-in-the-middle attacks.
While man-in-the-middle attacks are relatively rare (especially among those not attending hacker conferences), it is quite common for computer users to be in a situation where an… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-preview-detecting-man-middle-attacks-canary-requests/

A look at the VB2016 sponsors

More than a dozen companies and organizations are lending their support to VB2016 as conference sponsors and supporting organizations.
Today, we are exactly one month away from the start of VB2016, the 26th Virus Bulletin International Conference, which is to take place 5-7 October in Denver, Colorado. We thought… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/look-vb2016-sponsors/

Guest blog: Nemucod ransomware analysis

In a guest blog, Webroot researcher Jesse Lopez looks at another variant in the massive crop of malware that takes users’ files hostage: Nemucod ransomware.
In the run up to VB2016, we invited the sponsors of the conference to write guest posts for our blog. In the third of this series, Webroot's Jesse Lopez writes about the Nemucod… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/guest-blog-nemucod-ransomware-analysis/

September

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/

VB2016 preview: Mobile Applications: a Backdoor into Internet of Things?

At VB2016 in Denver, Fortinet researcher Axelle Apvrille will discuss how analysing a device's complementary mobile app can help a great deal in understanding the architecture of a smart device.
The recent discovery of a one-million-device IoT botnet used for DDoS attacks should be ample proof that concerns over the security of the Internet of Things are not merely… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/september/vb2016-preview-mobile-applications-backdoor-internet-things/

VB2016 preview: Wild Android Collusions

Full technical details of the first in-the-wild Android app 'collusion' attack, where multiple apps perform an attack in collaboration, will be shared with the public in at VB2016 in Denver on 5 October.
Most research into and protection against malicious apps focuses on single apps. This makes it interesting for malware authors to use app 'collusion': the ability of two (or more)… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/08/vb2016-preview-wild-android-collusions/

Small Talks return to the Virus Bulletin Conference

Following their success last year, this year a series of "Small Talks" return to the VB2016 conference programme. We are pleased to announce the details of six of these talks, covering subjects that range from the Chinese cybercriminal underground to Andr…
VB2015 was the 25th Virus Bulletin conference and, to celebrate the occasion, we added a third stream to the programme. Dubbed "Small Talks", these talks were longer than those on… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/08/small-talks-return-virus-bulletin-conference/

Research shows web security products perform well against exploit kits

Research by Virus Bulletin, in which five web security products were served 54 live exploit kits, shows that the products blocked between 87 and 100 per cent of the kits.
Among the security community a lot of research effort is dedicated to analysing exploit kits and their constantly evolving methods of frustrating researchers while infecting… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/08/research-shows-web-security-products-perform-well-against-exploit-kits/

Throwback Thursday: Olympic Games

In 1994, along with the Olympic Games came an Olympic virus, from a group of Swedish virus authors calling themselves ‘Immortal Riot’. We look back at Mikko Hyppönen's analysis in the VB archive.
As the world of sport awaits the official opening of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio tomorrow, any talk of viruses is restricted to concerns surrounding the mosquito-borne,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2016/08/throwback-thursday-olympic-games/

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