VB Blog

VB2018 paper: Little Brother is watching – we know all your secrets!

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Feb 1, 2019

At VB2018 in Montreal, researchers from Fraunhofer SIT looked at privacy vulnerabilities in legitimate Android family-tracking apps that leaked location data. Today, we publish both their paper and the video of their presentation.

Read more  

Threat intelligence teams should consider recruiting journalists

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 29, 2019

Threat intelligence teams would do well to recruit journalists, whose experience is crucial in today's threat landscape.

Read more  

From HSBC to product descriptions: the malicious emails bypassing your filters

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 28, 2019

Using data from our VBSpam lab, we looked at the malicious emails that have been missed recently by a large number of email security products.

Read more  

VB2018 paper: Inside Formbook infostealer

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 25, 2019

The Formbook information-stealing trojan may not be APT-grade malware, but its continuing spread means it can still be effective. At VB2018 in Montreal, Gabriela Nicolao, a researcher from Deloitte in Argentina, presented a short paper in which she looked at Formbook's background and history and analysed a sample of the malware. Today, we publish Gabriela's paper.

Read more  

The VB2019 CFP - how the selection procedure works

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 24, 2019

With the VB2019 Call for Papers having opened last week, we explain how the selection procedure works, which may help you during your abstract submission.

Read more  

VB2018 paper: From Hacking Team to hacked team to…?

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 18, 2019

Today we publish the VB2018 paper and video by ESET researcher Filip Kafka, who looked at the new malware by Hacking Team, after the company had recovered from the 2015 breach.

Read more  

The spam that is hardest to block is often the most damaging

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 17, 2019

We see a lot of spam in the VBSpam test lab, and we also see how well such emails are being blocked by email security products. Worryingly, it is often the emails with a malicious attachment or a phishing link that are most likely to be missed.

Read more  

Throwback Thursday: We're all doomed

Posted by   Helen Martin on   Jan 17, 2019

Mydoom turns 15 this month, and is still being seen in email attachments. This Throwback Thursday we look back to March 2004, when Gabor Szappanos tracked the rise of W32/Mydoom.

Read more  

VB2019 call for papers - now open!

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 15, 2019

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 VB2019 is now open and we want to hear from you!

Read more  

VB2018 paper: Unpacking the packed unpacker: reversing an Android anti-analysis library

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 14, 2019

Today, we publish a VB2018 paper by Google researcher Maddie Stone in which she looks at one of the most interesting anti-analysis native libraries in the Android ecosystem. We also release the recording of Maddie's presentation.

Read more  

Search blog

May issue of VB published

The May issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The May issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The May 2013 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or download… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/05/may-issue-vb-published/

May

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/05/

VB100 XP comparative features new speed vs. detection graph

At-a-glance chart shows both detection rates and impact on system performance.
At-a-glance chart shows both detection rates and impact on system performance. The results of the latest VB100 comparative review were released recently, covering 40 products on… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/05/xp-comparative-features-new-speed-vs-detection-graph/

Apache binaries replaced by stealth malcious ones

Malicious servers opening backdoors, performing redirects.
Malicious servers opening backdoors, performing redirects. Researchers at ESET and Sucuri have discovered a modified Apache binary that is used on hundreds of web servers to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/apache-binaries-replaced-stealth-malcious-ones/

Dutchman arrested in Spain for DDoS attacks on Spamhaus

Suspect drove around in 'mobile bunker' to co-ordinate attacks.
Suspect drove around in 'mobile bunker' to co-ordinate attacks. Police in Spain have arrested a 35-year-old Dutchman, believed to be responsible for the DDoS attacks on Spamhaus… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/dutchman-arrested-spain-ddos-attacks-spamhaus/

Cybercriminals quick to exploit emerging news

Malicious emails appear a matter of hours after news of explosions in the US.
Malicious emails appear a matter of hours after news of explosions in the US. It would have come as little surprise to anyone in the security industry that within hours of this… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/cybercriminals-quick-exploit-emerging-news/

Different focus on spam needed

What happens before the filter doesn't matter too much.
What happens before the filter doesn't matter too much. It is surprisingly difficult to get accurate figures for the amount of spam that is sent globally, yet everyone agrees that… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/different-focus-spam-needed/

VB2013 programme announced

Exciting range of topics to be covered at VB conference in Berlin this October.
Exciting range of topics to be covered at VB conference in Berlin this October. The VB conference selection committee have been busily assessing more than 150 proposals submitted… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/programme-announced/

AV-Comparatives reveals detection and protection reports

Figures released for long-term real-world tests and large-scale scanning measures.
Figures released for long-term real-world tests and large-scale scanning measures. Hot on the heels of the recent report from AV-Test, the latest sets of figures from Austrian… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/av-comparatives-reveals-detection-and-protection-reports/

AV-Test releases first Windows 8 test stats

Corporate and consumer products rated against Windows Defender baseline.
Corporate and consumer products rated against Windows Defender baseline. Independent testing house AV-Test.org has released its first set of figures for solutions run on Windows 8,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/av-test-releases-first-windows-8-test-stats/

April issue of VB published

The April issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The April issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The April 2013 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/april-issue-vb-published/

April

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/04/

Catch rates drop in latest VBSpam tests

Spam more of a challenge for majority of products.
Spam more of a challenge for majority of products. The results of VB's latest spam filter test show that spam has become more difficult to filter - with 15 of the 19 products… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/03/catch-rates-drop-latest-vbspam-tests/

Spam link sends Android users to trojan proxy

Meanwhile, desktop users sent to (relatively harmless) weight-loss site.
Meanwhile, desktop users sent to (relatively harmless) weight-loss site. Links found in certain spam emails which redirect desktop users to a phony weight-loss website, have been… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/03/spam-link-sends-android-users-trojan-proxy/

March issue of VB published

The March issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The March issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The March 2013 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/03/march-issue-vb-published/

March

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/03/

VB data supports Google's claim to having reduced compromised accounts

Internet giant may indeed do something right; Yahoo! has a real problem.
Internet giant may indeed do something right; Yahoo! has a real problem. Internet giant Google claims that a 'complex risk analysis' using 'more than 120 variables' has reduced the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/02/vb-data-supports-google-s-claim-having-reduced-compromised-accounts/

Hundreds of APTs linked to Chinese Army department

'Unit 61398' employs hundreds of people.
'Unit 61398' employs hundreds of people. A new report by security firm Mandiant links a large number of cyber-espionage cases to a department of the Chinese army. The report is… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/02/hundreds-apts-linked-chinese-army-department/

Massive drop in PPI SMS spam after spammers fined

Levels still higher than for most of 2012.
Levels still higher than for most of 2012. Security firm Cloudmark has reported a significant drop in the amount of PPI (Payment Protection Insurance) spam sent via SMS in the UK… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/02/massive-drop-ppi-sms-spam-after-spammers-fined/

Drop reported in infected computers worldwide

Nearly one third of computers still found to be infected.
Nearly one third of computers still found to be infected. The proportion of infected computers worldwide decreased from 38.49% in 2011 to 31.98% last year, according to an annual… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2013/02/drop-reported-infected-computers-worldwide/

We have placed cookies on your device in order to improve the functionality of this site, as outlined in our cookies policy. However, you may delete and block all cookies from this site and your use of the site will be unaffected. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to Virus Bulletin's use of data as outlined in our privacy policy.