New Botnet Dwarfs Storm

ancientribe writes "Storm is no longer the world's largest botnet: Researchers at Damballa have discovered Kraken, a botnet of 400,000 zombies — twice the size of Storm. But even more disturbing is that it has infected machines at 50 of the Fortune 500, and is undetectable in over 80 percent of machines running antivirus software. Kraken appears to be evading detection by a combination of clever obfuscation techniques that hinder its detection and analysis by researchers."

Comments

Designate Windows OS as Terrorist Tool

[weyesone]

Forbid Windows OSs from running in the USA because it's a defacto tool for terrorism.

Re:How does it get in? Duh!

[ceoyoyo]

They should just ban that .exe image file format. It's nothing but trouble. It doesn't even always reproduce the image!

Idiots

[whoda]

""We know the picture... ends in an .exe, which is not shown" to the user, Royal says."

If it ends in .exe it isn't a picture, you shouldn't keep calling it one.

Re:Scary

[Kugrian]

With a combination of three free programs and a bit of common sense, I haven't gotten a single virus or bit of spyware on my XP box in literally years. ZoneAlarm, AVG, and Spybot make a fantastic defense.

..and is undetectable in over 80 percent of machines running antivirus software.

Re:I am not trying to obnoxious.

[AndGodSed]

I try. *bow*

Re:I am not trying to obnoxious.

[Anonymous Coward]

I've tried to run several exploits under WINE, only to have them crash.

The WINE developers really need to work on the compatibility... :P

Heed my words

[illegalcortex]

Beware the Botnet Dwarfs!

Re:Designate Windows OS as Terrorist Tool

[Trigun]

FTA: "The primary C&C servers are hosted in France, Russia, and the U.S., according to Damballa."

The new Axis of Evil?

Re:I am not trying to obnoxious.

[gripen40k]

Heh, I think the size of this botnet is more than the total number of Solaris users to begin with.

Re:Detection?

[Anonymous Coward]

Just browse pr0n until you come across one of those 'your pc is infected' warnings, then use their free tool. Works every time.

Idiot-Proof a Computer

[Prototerm]

... and God just builds a better idiot.

A great deal of the problem here isn't necessarily Windows, it's the people who use it. In an attempt to make its operating system easier for the idiot to use, Microsoft has added "features" that increase the vulnerability as well, particularly the "I'm-ok-you're-ok-can't-we-all-just-get-along-and- share-our-deepest-darkest-secrets" design philosophy that's behind so much of the Windows experience.

But the vast majority of Unwashed Humanity shouldn't even be using a *light switch*, nevermind a computer! Even otherwise very intelligent people are so completely clueless when it comes to things that come to them in email and on web sites. I swear, if I sent out an email asking people to cut out their large intestine and email me a scan of its contents, most of them would happily do it, and thank me for the privilege.

I tell my family to follow two rules:

1. Everything you read on the internet and in email is a complete and utter lie from someone you do not know, which will steal all your money, rot your brain, and leave you (male or female) with an unwanted love child. You should completely delete all email before reading.

2. See Rule #1.

Microsoft advocates Trustworthy Computing. I recommend Paranoid Computing instead, because *nobody* can be trusted!

Re:It's sending to a predefined list

[Skynet]

Blast! Foiled again!

Re:Designate Windows OS as Terrorist Tool

[BattleApple]

But more complex instructions like "save this to your filesystem, then open a terminal window and type 'chmod +x free_porn.sh', and then double-click it for free porn!" gives your victim just that little bit longer to realise that they're being conned
Don't underestimate me.. I've performed WAY more complex operations than that in order to obtain free porn.