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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Search blog

UK funds allocated to cyber security

New spending on cyber security despite other public cuts.
New spending on cyber security despite other public cuts. As the UK reels following the government's announcement of the biggest public spending cuts in decades, one of the few… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/10/uk-funds-allocated-cyber-security/

Giant patch release from Microsoft, Oracle

Record Patch Tuesday combines with swathe of extra fixes for corporates.
Record Patch Tuesday combines with swathe of extra fixes for corporates. It's a busy week for corporate admins as Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday security bulletin, containing a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/10/giant-patch-release-microsoft-oracle/

Dutch banks report huge increase in online fraud

Users warned against phishing and becoming money mules.
Users warned against phishing and becoming money mules. Figures on online crime released by the association of Dutch banks (NVB) show a significant rise in indicents of online… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/10/dutch-banks-report-huge-increase-online-fraud/

Microsoft's machines hijacked by spammers

Servers also used for DoS attack on security journalist's site.
Servers also used for DoS attack on security journalist's site. More than a thousand websites pushing spamvertised pharmaceuticals have been found to be using name servers on… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/10/microsoft-s-machines-hijacked-spammers/

October

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/10/

October issue of VB published

The October issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The October issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The October 2010 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/10/october-issue-vb-published/

ARF published as IETF standard

Abuse report format helps auto-handling of email complaints
Abuse report format helps auto-handling of email complaints ARF (Abuse Reporting Format) has been approved by the IETF as an Internet standard. ARF is a format used to send… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/09/arf-published-ietf-standard/

September

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/09/

Microsoft releases new fix for DLL vulnerability

Earlier workaround believed to be too complex for most users.
Earlier workaround believed to be too complex for most users. A week after Microsoft released a fix for a DLL vulnerability that affected a large number of programs running on its… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/09/microsoft-releases-new-fix-dll-vulnerability/

Malicious tweets link to fake TweetDeck update

Twitter resets passwords for accounts that appear to have been hacked.
Twitter resets passwords for accounts that appear to have been hacked.Twitter users who recently clicked on links in tweets urging them to upgrade their version of TweetDeck - the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/09/malicious-tweets-link-fake-tweetdeck-update/

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 2010 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/09/september-issue-vb-published/

94% of Internet users befriend unknown 'good-looking woman'

Sensitiva data shared after two-hour chat.
Sensitiva data shared after two-hour chat. Research from BitDefender has shown that the vast majority of users of social network sites are willing to befriend an unknown,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/94-internet-users-befriend-unknown-good-looking-woman/

Investment boost for Quick Heal

Indian security firm gets hefty cash injection.
Indian security firm gets hefty cash injection. Indian computer security firm Quick Heal has received a INR 60 crore (approximately US$12.7 million) cash injection from venture… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/investment-boost-quick-heal/

41% of spam sent via Rustock botnet

Botnet spam back after short summer break.
Botnet spam back after short summer break. In its latest intelligence report, security firm MessageLabs reports that 41% of all spam is being sent through the Rustock botnet, an… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/41-spam-sent-rustock-botnet/

Avast gets $100m investment boost

Growth equity firm invests in Czech firm
Growth equity firm invests in Czech firmAvast Software, the Czech anti-malware firm famous for its free avast! software, has announced that growth equity investor Summit Partners… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/avast-gets-100m-investment-boost/

Computer chip giant buys AV giant

Intel becomes new owner of McAfee for the princely sum of $7.8bn
Intel becomes new owner of McAfee for the princely sum of $7.8bnIntel, the world's biggest manufacturer of computer chips, is poised to acquire security giant McAfee - one of the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/computer-chip-giant-buys-av-giant/

VB100 update

Adjustments to test scores affect Kaspersky, VirusBuster.
Adjustments to test scores affect Kaspersky, VirusBuster. In the wake of the recent VB100 comparative, covering a massive 54 products on Windows Vista SP2, further double-checking… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/update/

AV-Test.org issues latest round of testing results

Symantec and Microsoft outdo Trend and McAfee in live tests.
Symantec and Microsoft outdo Trend and McAfee in live tests. Independent testing organisation AV-Test.org has released its latest round of test results in a simplified format,… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/av-test-org-issues-latest-round-testing-results/

Extra-large crop of updates for Patch Tuesday

Fourteen security alerts from Microsoft join two from Adobe.
Fourteen security alerts from Microsoft join two from Adobe.Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday security bulletins came out this week, featuring a chunky 14 separate alerts with many… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/extra-large-crop-updates-patch-tuesday/

Android SMS trojan goes wild

Premium-rate text scam shows growing cracks in smart phone security.
Premium-rate text scam shows growing cracks in smart phone security. The first known SMS trojan affecting smart phones running Google's Android operating system has been observed… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2010/08/android-sms-trojan-goes-wild/

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