Category: Virus

Nikki Catsouras being used to spread Malware

Paul6 Replies

I was doing my usual perusing the internet and I came across this site about Nikki Catsouras Accident Photos, I won’t go into gruesome details but looks like the Malware Authors are at it again with trying to have you install Fake codecs into your system.

nikkicatsitepicThese are some of the nicer pictures on the site

 

I must warn you if you go to the site there are some very gruesome and disturbing pictures of the accident, but that not what is computer related.  On the site they also have a Video that isn’t really a Video.  Clicking that video link pops up this in my AVG warning window:

 

nikkicatvidofakeThis is the Free Version of AVG

 

As you can see, the Malware authors are using the accident video to get people to install the Fake Codec to install some Trojan, worm, or even a Virus onto your system.  I’ve talked about this from time to time but if  you need to install a codec from a site you don’t trust.  I don’t recommend this to anyone.   I would keep with the known Codecs and keep away from any site that says you will need to install a codec or tries to install a codec.   I also recommend some Free Antivirus and Free Firewall software to better protect you.  As you can see the free AVG software that I was using did detect this and prevented me from going any further.  So the Free software Antivirus providers are keeping even the most common users safe.

 

If you did visit that and get the virus, Trojan, or worm, you can visit my Maleware resources to  find tools to help remove this problem.

 

nikkitrends5209

 

As of writing the post this seems to be on the Google Trends on May 2.  I will always tell people to go to the trust media sites if they are wondering who this person or what happen.   It looks like they Media is going wild over the court cases right now to take down the pictures.  I am all for the family wanting those picture.  I do hope they take them down.

 

Adobe PDF Zero Day Warnings : Experts agree

Paul

All the Security experts online are talking about The 2 Zero Day Adobe Vulnerabilities:

[ad#cricket-right-ez]As you can see this seems to be one of those Adobe problems we had in the past with [intlink id=”2963″ type=”post”]Javascript[/intlink].   They seem to be having a major problem with Javascript vulnerability and the old saying is to just to disable Javascript in PDF’S again.   Adobe is calling this a Potential Adobe Reader issue and is suggesting that the users disable Javascript until this is fixed with a security update.

This is mostly affect the corporate world more than the private sector because of the fact corporate world will use PDF by sending them through emails.   I suggest installing another reader and these are all free.

Be advised the vulnerabilities affects Linux, Windows, and Macintosh systems.  This will most likely mean that even Macintoshes could be used to [intlink id=”2173″ type=”post”]create even more botnets[/intlink] and will need to disable there Javascript until this issue is fixed or maybe they would like to find another reader themselves.  This also goes for Linux users but I have not heard of anything in the wild yet.

Don’t forget to install some [intlink id=”2205″ type=”page”]free Anti-virus and Free Firewalls[/intlink] to help protect your system from becoming a botnet.

Mebroot becomes More Stealthier!!

Paul

Well Here is something we should all be on the look out for:
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Thousands of Web sites have been rigged to deliver a powerful piece of malicious software that many security products may be unprepared to handle.

Mebroot inserts program hooks into various functions of the kernel, or the operating system’s core code. Once Mebroot has taken hold, the malware then makes it appear that the MBR hasn’t been tampered with.

[Via Pcworld Magazine]

I will be updating my [intlink id=”2205″ type=”page”]Malware Resource[/intlink] for the Prevx Software, but this looks to be a very bad root kit.  From my understanding most of the security related software.   It seems this little program will become even harder to detect and remove.   It also looks like this is ready to start infecting people with this root kit.   You should update every part of your system from [intlink id=”3327″ type=”post”]Windows Patches[/intlink] to Browser. [intlink id=”2229″ type=”post”] Securnia once said[/intlink] that most people are not patched fully!!  Just like the [intlink id=”3301″ type=”post”]Conficker Worm[/intlink], if your not fully patched and keeping anti-virus and Firewalls on your system then you might as well be walking on nails.

Small Towns are breeding grounds for Computer Viruses

Paul

I grew up in a small town, at the time the population of the town was like 29,000.  That isn’t really that small some of you might say, you’ve probably gone through towns that only had 500 or 100 people in it.   Which brings me to my point, Small towns are always going to be behind large towns in technology.

Most of us who have worked on computers or even been in the field for some time knows how hard it is to explain to the uneducated why they need to keep their systems up to date.  It gets really hard explaining to companies in small towns why they need to worry about security.   You try to explain this to a company Representative and you see t he glassy eyed stare that tells you they aren’t even listening anymore.

I’ve been debating talking about this post from the Washington Post, Security Fix.  Now the reason I’ve been having trouble is that the article talks about a town that I grew up, I think of this town as a hometown for me.  I remember Hopkinsville, Ky as a great experience, because the teachers at my school was not comfortable with the computer nerds.  Most of the time, I am sure they felt woefully uneducated about computers.

In my experience here are three reasons why Small towns will always be behind in Technology:

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  1. Education System — This is where we start, most of us know that it is our education that gives us our community understanding of the problem.   The education of the system of small towns will always be the last to get the newest stuff or the best stuff, in part because of grants from the local Government.  Nothing new there, because small towns can’t raise a lot of money with very few people in terms of taxes.

  2. Internet availability — You’ve probably experienced this in your lifetime.  You  go to a city or town and there is not a lot of places for you to get on the internet.  You get to a small town and have only 1 or 2 places you can go to check your email or do business stuff.   We are beginning to become an internet dependent society.  In the way of getting our information from the Internet.

  3. Local Government —  This is the most important aspect of why small towns will be behind in technology.  Most Governments in small don’t have the resources to require school systems to incorporate the newest technology or the fastest possible internet speeds.  I love to watch the Show Everwood, it actually speaks some very good truths about small towns.  They aren’t worried about the nation, they are only worried about what is going on Locally.  Until this changes they will never embrace technology like the big city.

Although some of this might of changed in the last few years, I don’t think so because of the report from The Washington post.   Companies in Small towns need to worry about Security.  They need [intlink id=”2205″ type=”page”]Anti-virus Software and Firewalls,[/intlink] even if it is Dialup they need something to keep them protected.  Remember there are eight levels of security, and you’re the last level!!