Skip the navigation
)

CA details 'remarkably sophisticated' Web attack

A variant of the Bagle worm is serving as a 'beachhead,' the company says

By Grant Gross
June 3, 2005 12:00 PM ET

IDG News Service - A new "remarkably sophisticated" attack that uses three pieces of malware to turn PCs into zombies that can be sold to criminal groups appeared on the Internet this week, security vendor Computer Associates International Inc. said yesterday.

A version of the Bagle worm downloader that the company has dubbed Glieder is serving as a "beachhead" to install more serious malware on computers, CA said. Demonstrating a new level of coordination between Glieder and other attacks, infected computers can have their antivirus and firewall software disabled and can be turned into remotely controlled zombies used to mount large cyberattacks, CA said.

"This is so coordinated that it's remarkably sophisticated," said Roger Thompson, CA's director of malicious content research.

CA noted eight variants of Glieder released one after the other on Wednesday, "dazzling the Internet with their speed and deployment to maximize the number of compromised victims," the company said. "The whole point is to get to as many victims as fast as possible with a lightweight piece of malware."

The Glieder downloader then directs the infected computer to a Web site to download the Fantibag Trojan, which targets computers' networking features to prevent their systems from communicating with antivirus vendor update tools and with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Update Web site. Then the infected computer downloads the Mitglieder Trojan, which disables firewalls and antivirus software and opens a back door, allowing the computer to be controlled remotely by the hackers.

"It turns computers into zombies," Thompson said of the attack. "It's all about these guys building their botnet. It's all about making money."

As soon as antivirus vendors update their programs to detect the latest version of Glieder, the attackers will modify the downloader program, resulting in an arms race, Thompson said. The use of three separate pieces of malware to attack a computer shows a new level of coordination, he said. A black market for compromised computers drives these types of zombie attacks, with criminals paying for groups of machines to use as spam relays or as sources of personal information used in identity-theft schemes.


Other Internet security experts were less impressed with the Glieder attacks. While the pairing of Glieder with Fantibag may be new, Glieder and older Bagle variants are designed to work as downloader programs that can secretly install software on compromised machines, said Ken Dunham, director of malicious code at iDefense Inc., another cybersecurity vendor.

CA warned that the new attacks may be the work of criminals. "There's plenty of evidence to suggest that all these things

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.
What is Tech Briefcase?
TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more
Bookmark content
Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.
Search and Store
Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.
View Anywhere
Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.
Don't have an account yet?
Additional Resources
Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Security White Papers
Driving Secure Enterprise File Sharing and Syncing in the Enterprise
GroupLogic's new activEcho is the industry's only secure Enterprise File Sharing and Synching solution that balances the need for simplicity for the end...
The Enterprise File Sharing Option
Enterprises and IT departments need to address several critical security issues when considering file sharing and syncing products. Many of today's solutions do...
Security Strategies to Virtualizing Internet-Facing Applications
The IT organization at Intel has set a goal to transition their enterprise to a private cloud for their Office and Enterprise applications....
Cloud Security Planning Guide
Cloud security considerations span protecting hardware and platform technologies in the data center to enabling regulatory compliance and defending cloud access through different...
Cloud Security Vendor Round Table
This vendor round table guide will help you to evaluate different cloud technology vendors and service providers based on a series of questions...
All Security White Papers
Security Webcasts
Live Webcast
Data Privacy and Protection in Production Environments: New Research from Ponemon Institute
Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT

In a recent study conducted by Ponemon Institute, fifty-five percent of respondents...
Data Privacy and Protection in Production Environments: New Research from Ponemon Institute
Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT

In a recent study conducted by Ponemon Institute, fifty-five percent of respondents...
Security Certifications 101 - BlackBerry and all those acronyms what do they mean and why they matter?
FIPS, Common Criteria, CAPS, AISEP, NFC, NIST, Fraunhofer SIT, CESG, DSD - these are just some of the government and industry certifications which...
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Security Overview
The presentation provides an overview of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 security capabilities and features, including: BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, BlackBerry® Bridge, data-at-rest protection, and...
BlackBerry NFC Security Overview
The presentation on NFC security will provide an overview of the security protections built into the BlackBerry platform to protect users, application developers...
Playing Defense: Staying on Top of Your Disaster Recovery Game
When it comes to disaster recovery, rapidly growing data volumes, distributed computing models, and new technologies all combine to present an ever-changing playing...
All Security Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs