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Linux fails to escape screensaver malware

Jeff December 9, 2009 Sysadmin 0

Screensavers, smiley packs, little animated desktop companions and their ilk have, for a very long time, been a big part of the Windows malware ecosystem, because they’re the kind of thing that specifically appeals to the type of user who doesn’t know any better. For awhile, Linux has managed to avoid this, but a screensaver on gnome-look.org has been found to do very bad things:

Malware has been found hidden inside an innocuous ‘waterfall’ screensaver .deb file made available on popular artwork sharing site Gnome-Look.org.

The .deb file installs a script with elevated privileges designed to perform a DDoS attack as well as keep itself updated via downloads.

The dodgy screensaver in question has since been removed from gnome-look and this incident was a very basic, if potentially successful, attempt.

If anything this incident highlights the need to be careful what you download and where you download it from.

Nothing new in the Windows world, of course, but a pleasant reminder that Linux intrinsically do anything to prevent users from doing stupid crap.

Ransomware gets smarter

Jeff November 3, 2009 Sysadmin 0

El Reg writes:

Devious virus writers have come up with a new twist on ransomware-style malware.

A new strain of Trojan encrypts recently-opened files on compromised Windows PCs. But instead of demanding a ransom for a decryption key to unlock files, the malware relies on users to search the web for a possible way-out.

Hackers have cleverly baited searches for likely terms, with links to sites offering a supposed fix actually developed by the crooks behind the ruse.

A fuller explanation of the scam can be found Symantec’s write-up on the Ramvicrype Trojan here and in a blog posting by Symantec researcher Shunichi Imano here. ®

Say what you will about the data-centric approach of The New School of Information Security, there’s one fact that’s undeniable: money drives malware in the 21st century, and they’re getting smarter and smarter about how they take it.