Web Security

1 in 5 Windows PCs still hackable by Conficker

From Computerworld (Gregg Keizer)
Although the media blitz about the Conficker worm prompted a significant number of enterprise users to finally fix a six-month-old Windows bug, about one in five business computers still lack the patch [computerworld.com], a security company said today.
Scans of more than 300,000 Windows PCs owned by customers of Qualys Inc. show that patching of the MS08-067 vulnerability — a bug that Microsoft fixed with an emergency update issued in October 2008 — picked up dramatically two weeks ago. Read the full story. Also see our previous coverage of the Conficker threat.

Exploiting Skype: Building a telephone botnet

From the Industry Standard (Robert McMillan)
Flaws in popular Internet-based telephony systems could be exploited to create a network of hacked phone accounts, somewhat like the botnets that have been wreaking havoc with PCs for the past few years.
Researchers at Secure Science recently discovered ways to make unauthorized calls from both Skype [securescience.net] and the new Google Voice communications systems, according to Lance James, the company’s cofounder.  Read the full story [thestandard.com]  Here’s the paper [pdf] explaining the Google Voice attack.

Twitter worm attack: Here’s how to keep safe

From PC World (Daniel Ionescu)
The malicious worm affecting Twitter over the weekend has now mutated and continues to invade [pcworld.com] the popular microblogging network. Although Twitter is taking action [twitter.com] against the problem, security analysts fear that further mutations of the worm will continue to wreak havoc on the network over the week.  This article provides practical advice on how to stay safe while using Twitter.

Conficker hits University of Utah

by Ryan Naraine

University of Utah officials say a computer virus has infected more than 700 campus computers [tech.yahoo.com], including those at the school’s three hospitals.
University health sciences spokesman Chris Nelson said the outbreak of the Conficker worm, which can slow computers and steal personal information, was first detected Thursday. By Friday, the virus had infiltrated computers at the hospitals, medical school, and colleges of nursing, pharmacy and health. Read the full story [yahoo.com]

Conficker business model: Scareware and spam

by Ryan Naraine

The Conficker botnet has started to use its peer-to-peer communication system to update itself and download scareware (fake anti-virus programs) to millions of infected Windows machines, according to malware hunters tracking the threat.
The latest Conficker mutant comes a week after a heavily-hyped April 1st activation date and provides the first sign of the motivation behind this malware threat — financially motivated cybercrime.

How to break Web software

by Dennis Fisher

In this Google Tech Talk, Mike Andrews, a security consultant from Foundstone, discusses common techniques for exploiting weak spots in Web applications. (Running time: 1:26)

Mobile viruses hampered by lack of dominant mobile OS

by Dennis Fisher
1

Malware that attacks mobile phones and other handheld devices has been the Next Big Threat for most of the last decade. And much like the Year of PKI, it’s never really materialized. Security experts have postulated that this is mainly because there’s not enough valuable data on these devices to attract the money-motivated attackers. But a new paper, “Understanding the Spreading Patterns of Mobile Phone Viruses,” from a group of scientists shows that the barriers are more likely market saturation and geography.

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