LinkedIn spam emails distributed malware to enterprise users, where it gathered credentials for commercial bank accounts and other sensitive information.
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Secure browsing provider Trusteer (www.trusteer.com) announced Tuesday its researchers have found a new version of the relatively obscure financial malware known as “Bugat”.
Distributed to LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) users during a recent phishing campaign, Bugat, according to Trusteer, seems to be an attempt by criminals to diversify their attack methods by using a less popular platform than the Zeus trojan, which was originally what the campaign was believed to be distributing.
In last week’s attack, LinkedIn users received emails reminding them of messages in their account. These messages contained a URL that directed users to a fraudulent website where a java applet installed Bugat.
The LinkedIn spam emails distributed malware to enterprise users, where it gathered credentials for commercial bank accounts and other sensitive information.
“Criminals are stepping up their malware distribution efforts by continuously updating configurations of well known malware like Zeus, and using new versions of less common Trojans like Bugat, to avoid detection,” Trusteer chief executive officer Mickey Boodaei said in a statement. “We are in an arms race with criminals. Although Zeus gets a lot of attention from law enforcement, banks and the security industry, we need to be vigilant against new forms of financial malware like Bugat and SpyEye which are just as deadly and quietly expanding their footprint across the Internet.”
According to Trusteer, Bugat functions similar to more well-known financial malware varieties such as Zeus, Clampi and Gozi, and targets Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers. It collects information during online banking sessions and is used to commit fraudulent “Automated Clearing House” and wire transfer transactions mostly against small businesses.
Although Bugat’s distribution is still relatively low, it is three times more common in the US than in Europe.
About Nicole Henderson
Nicole Henderson writes full-time for the Web Host Industry Review where she covers daily news and features online, as well as in print. She has a bachelor of journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, and has been writing for the WHIR since September 2010. You can find her on Twitter @NicoleHenderson.
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