Firefox+ Other Browsers Trojan Virus- SERIOUS WARNING- DON'T USE ONLINE BANKING
Firefox users are no longer being spared from a virus that collects personal information while users visit banking websites.
In a new report, security company Trusteer says the Trojan virus has been spotted on about 1,800 of the 5.5. million computers the company monitors in the U.K. and the U.S.
The malware is also now able to work while users browse in Firefox and Internet Explorer, Trusteer says.
The infection rate "is growing faster than we have ever seen before," said Trusteer chief technology officer Amit Klein.
The Zeus 1.6 virus is designed to infect a system and wait for a user to access a banking site and then sends the usernames and passwords to a remote server.
This is the second version of the Zeus virus. Most of the first version's command and control system was destroyed when the Kazakhstani server being used to administer the virus was cut off from the Internet in March.
The virus wasn't previously able to interact with Firefox, but the new version supports an "HTML injection" that tampers with the browser and allows the Trojan to bypass authentication protocols, according to Trusteer.
The company says the more robust Zeus is also now better able to go undetected by antivirus programs and sends its collected information in real time.
Klein said the virus is expected to lead to "significantly increase fraud loses."
More from the BBC
Zeus banking virus is back warns security firm
Botnets such as Zeus target those using online banking
Zeus, a virus that steals online banking details from infected computer users, is more powerful than ever, warns a web security company.
Trusteer says it has spotted the Trojan virus in one of every 3,000 of the 5.5m computers it monitors in the US and UK.
Zeus 1.6 can infect people using Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers, the company claims.
The malware steals login information by recording keystrokes when the infected user is on a list of target websites.
These websites are usually banks and other financial institutions.
The user's data is then sent to a remote server to be used and sold on by cyber-criminals.
"We expect this new version of Zeus to significantly increase fraud losses, since nearly 30% of internet users bank online with Firefox and the infection is growing faster than we have ever seen before," said Amit Klein, chief technology officer at Trusteer.
DIY virus
In March 2010, many parts of the command and control (C&C) system for the Zeus botnet were destroyed when the Kazakhstani ISP that was being used to administer it was cut off.
However, it does not take long for malware controllers to spring up elsewhere, and toolkits for assembling botnets are readily available on the black market.
"There are plenty of opportunities for people to purchase access to these systems through underground chat rooms," said Dr JD Marsters, from the department of electronics and computer science at the University of Southampton.
"It's a game of cat and mouse between anti-virus vendors and botnet developers."
Computer users should ensure that their anti-virus software and operating systems are kept up to date, he advised.
END
Spread the word guys on every site you can. It had already affected me when I tried to pay for Hotfile and Paypal sent me a security warning that my account had been frozen. I could not understand why the Hotfile Premium would not work after I paid. Then I received the security notice from Paypal, but they did not say why so I investigated and found these reports.
Mods please make this a sticky it is very serious.
.
Firefox users are no longer being spared from a virus that collects personal information while users visit banking websites.
In a new report, security company Trusteer says the Trojan virus has been spotted on about 1,800 of the 5.5. million computers the company monitors in the U.K. and the U.S.
The malware is also now able to work while users browse in Firefox and Internet Explorer, Trusteer says.
The infection rate "is growing faster than we have ever seen before," said Trusteer chief technology officer Amit Klein.
The Zeus 1.6 virus is designed to infect a system and wait for a user to access a banking site and then sends the usernames and passwords to a remote server.
This is the second version of the Zeus virus. Most of the first version's command and control system was destroyed when the Kazakhstani server being used to administer the virus was cut off from the Internet in March.
The virus wasn't previously able to interact with Firefox, but the new version supports an "HTML injection" that tampers with the browser and allows the Trojan to bypass authentication protocols, according to Trusteer.
The company says the more robust Zeus is also now better able to go undetected by antivirus programs and sends its collected information in real time.
Klein said the virus is expected to lead to "significantly increase fraud loses."
More from the BBC
Zeus banking virus is back warns security firm
Botnets such as Zeus target those using online banking
Zeus, a virus that steals online banking details from infected computer users, is more powerful than ever, warns a web security company.
Trusteer says it has spotted the Trojan virus in one of every 3,000 of the 5.5m computers it monitors in the US and UK.
Zeus 1.6 can infect people using Firefox and Internet Explorer web browsers, the company claims.
The malware steals login information by recording keystrokes when the infected user is on a list of target websites.
These websites are usually banks and other financial institutions.
The user's data is then sent to a remote server to be used and sold on by cyber-criminals.
"We expect this new version of Zeus to significantly increase fraud losses, since nearly 30% of internet users bank online with Firefox and the infection is growing faster than we have ever seen before," said Amit Klein, chief technology officer at Trusteer.
DIY virus
In March 2010, many parts of the command and control (C&C) system for the Zeus botnet were destroyed when the Kazakhstani ISP that was being used to administer it was cut off.
However, it does not take long for malware controllers to spring up elsewhere, and toolkits for assembling botnets are readily available on the black market.
"There are plenty of opportunities for people to purchase access to these systems through underground chat rooms," said Dr JD Marsters, from the department of electronics and computer science at the University of Southampton.
"It's a game of cat and mouse between anti-virus vendors and botnet developers."
Computer users should ensure that their anti-virus software and operating systems are kept up to date, he advised.
END
Spread the word guys on every site you can. It had already affected me when I tried to pay for Hotfile and Paypal sent me a security warning that my account had been frozen. I could not understand why the Hotfile Premium would not work after I paid. Then I received the security notice from Paypal, but they did not say why so I investigated and found these reports.
Mods please make this a sticky it is very serious.
.
