VB Blog

Alleged author of creepy FruitFly macOS malware arrested

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 11, 2018

A 28-year old man from Ohio has been arrested on suspicion of having created the mysterious FruitFly malware that targeted macOS and used it to spy on its victims.

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The threat and security product landscape in 2017

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 10, 2018

At the start of the new year, Virus Bulletin looks back at the threats seen in the 2017 and at the security products that are available to help mitigate them.

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Spamhaus report shows many botnet controllers look a lot like legitimate servers

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 9, 2018

Spamhaus's annual report on botnet activity shows that botherders tend to use popular, legitimate hosting providers, domain registrars and top-level domains when setting up command-and-control servers.

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Tips on researching tech support scams

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 5, 2018

As tech support scammers continue to target the computer illiterate through cold calling, VB's Martijn Grooten uses his own experience to share some advice on how to investigate such scams.

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Meltdown and Spectre attacks mitigated by operating system updates

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Jan 4, 2018

Just four days into the new year, two serious attacks in modern processors, dubbed Meltdown and Spectre, have been discovered. The attacks can be mitigated by patches to the operating system, but anti-virus software vendors need to make sure their products are compatible with the patches.

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Conference review: AVAR 2017

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Dec 22, 2017

Martijn Grooten reports on the 20th AVAR conference, which took place earlier in December in Beijing, China.

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Conference review: Botconf 2017

Posted by   Virus Bulletin on   Dec 22, 2017

Virus Bulletin researchers report back from a very interesting fifth edition of Botconf, the botnet fighting conference.

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VB2017 videos on attacks against Ukraine

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Dec 21, 2017

(In)security is a global issue that affects countries around the world, but in recent years none has been so badly hit as Ukraine. Today, we publish the videos of two VB2017 talks about attacks that hit Ukraine particularly badly: a talk by Alexander Adamov (NioGuard) on (Not)Petya and related attacks, and another by Robert Lipovsky and Anton Cherepanov (ESET) on Industroyer.

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Facebook helps you determine whether emails really came from its servers

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Dec 21, 2017

On its website, Facebook now shows which emails it has sent you recently, thus helping you to determine which emails are real, and which should be discarded as phishing.

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Vulnerability disclosure and botnet takedown not to be hindered by Wassenaar Arrangement

Posted by   Martijn Grooten on   Dec 19, 2017

Clarification in the language of the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral export control regime for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, means those involved in vulnerability disclosure or botnet takedown won't have to worry about acquiring an export licence.

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Search blog

Spammer enters guilty plea

Admits to having spammed 1.2 million AOL customers.
Admits to having spammed 1.2 million AOL customers. A Brooklyn man has pleaded guilty to having sent spam messages to over 1.2 million AOL customers in August 2005. According to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/spammer-enters-guilty-plea/

'Direct' cost of malware infections on the decline

Report finds direct costs from malware infections declined over last two years.
Report finds direct costs from malware infections declined over last two years. A report by Computer Economics has stated that the financial impact of malware infections fell to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/direct-cost-malware-infections-decline/

Serious holes in Yahoo! Messenger

Critical vulnerabilities fully disclosed.
Critical vulnerabilities fully disclosed. Two security flaws in the popular Yahoo! Messenger communications software have been reported, with full details available online before a… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/serious-holes-yahoo-messenger/

Microsoft details 'Stirling' integrated suite

Comprehensive security product promised in next-gen Forefront.
Comprehensive security product promised in next-gen Forefront.Microsoft, whose Forefront corporate anti-malware system is the latest step in a continuing onslaught on the security… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/microsoft-details-stirling-integrated-suite/

Spam barrages take down filters, networks

Report shows increase in spam bombardment attacks.
Report shows increase in spam bombardment attacks.MessageLabs' monthly report on the latest trends in spam has warned of an alarming rise in 'spam spikes', targeted attacks which… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/spam-barrages-take-down-filters-networks/

Amero case sent for retrial

Spyware popup teacher told earlier trial was flawed.
Spyware popup teacher told earlier trial was flawed. Connecticut temporary teaching assistant Julie Amero, convicted of exposing minors to danger when a classroom computer she had… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/amero-case-sent-retrial/

Online malware dangers analysed

Google, McAfee release webserver, search result figures.
Google, McAfee release webserver, search result figures. Two reports out this week have revealed some interesting statistics on the security dangers involved in browsing the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/online-malware-dangers-analysed/

CA struck by vulnerability

CAB handling issue affects swathe of products.
CAB handling issue affects swathe of products. Two flaws related to the handling of CAB archive files by the CA anti-virus engine have been reported, rendering products across CA's… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/ca-struck-vulnerability/

Vulnerabilities strike more AV firms, and Mac too

F-Secure and Authentium patch holes, while Samba flaws worry Apple users.
F-Secure and Authentium patch holes, while Samba flaws worry Apple users. Users of Mac OS X, used to a cosy sense of security, have been warned of possible penetration vectors… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/vulnerabilities-strike-more-av-firms-and-mac-too/

Symantec sued for false positive

Chinese FP issue leads to court case.
Chinese FP issue leads to court case. A Chinese lawyer has begun court proceedings against security firm Symantec, claiming damages as a result of the widely-publicised false… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/symantec-sued-false-positive/

Another 'Spam King' arrested

Spammer brought to book after 4-year campaign.
Spammer brought to book after 4-year campaign. A Seattle man was indicted yesterday on numerous charges of fraud and deception in relation to a campaign of spamming dating back to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/another-spam-king-arrested/

Pestilent spammer arrested

Another 'spam king' locked up.
Another 'spam king' locked up. A man described by anti-spam organisation Spamhaus as 'one of the most persistent professional spammers' was arrested in Seattle late last month… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/pestilent-spammer-arrested/

Anti-spam laws take hold in Hong Kong

Tough new controls aim at stamping out spam.
Tough new controls aim at stamping out spam. Hong Kong has become the latest place to see the introduction of anti-spam laws, with the first phase of a two-stage process coming… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/anti-spam-laws-take-hold-hong-kong/

June issue of VB published

The June issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download.
The June issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to download. The June 2007 issue of Virus Bulletin is now available for subscribers to browse online or download… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/june-issue-vb-published/

Vulnerabilities galore

May was a month of flaw revelations, with vulnerabilities being disclosed in the products of no fewer than nine security vendors.
May was a month of flaw revelations, with vulnerabilities being disclosed in the products of no fewer than nine security vendors. May was a month of flaw revelations, with… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/vulnerabilities-galore/

June

Anti-virus and security related news provided by independent anti-virus advisors, Virus Bulletin
https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/06/

Google buys into security

Google makes stealth purchase of security firm.
Google makes stealth purchase of security firm. Search and entertainment giant Google completed the purchase of Internet security firm GreenBorder Technologies in mid-May - but… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/05/google-buys-security/

Google stashing adware on Dell systems, says OpenDNS founder

Toolbar partnership accused of devious spyware tactics.
Toolbar partnership accused of devious spyware tactics. The partnership between search giant Google and hardware behemoth Dell, which has led to the popular Google Toolbar being… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/05/google-stashing-adware-dell-systems-says-opendns-founder/

New OpenOffice proof-of-concept widely noted

Odd payload, not spreading danger, brings attention to cross-platform worm.
Odd payload, not spreading danger, brings attention to cross-platform worm. A new proof-of-concept malware exploiting the OpenOffice document format has made headlines across the… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/05/new-openoffice-proof-concept-widely-noted/

Overflows hit NOD32

Vulnerabilities disclosed after patching.
Vulnerabilities disclosed after patching. Two stack-overflow vulnerabilities have been disclosed in Eset's flagship NOD32 AntiVirus product, which could have been exploited to… https://www.virusbulletin.com/blog/2007/05/overflows-hit-nod32/

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