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Malware Spreading Via ... Windshield Fliers?
wiedzmin writes "Another interesting article published by the SANS ISC Handler's Diary is describing a very unusual vector for malware distribution — windshield fliers and fake parking tickets. A website URL provided for "disputing a ticket" actually leads to a malicious website, and a "toolbar" required to find the photo of your violation is, you guessed it, a trojan posing as a fake antivirus. The best part is — according to the VirusTotal report, it doesn't look like most antiviruses have signatures for this one yet."
As clever as this is it seems like catching the person or persons putting these on wind shields would be simple enough.
but I can't seriously imagine this being a widespread problem.
Maybe a few people in a town would end up affected, but the cost in time/effort required to trap victims is impractical considering what a simple email can do.
while(1) attack(People.Sandy);
What scares me most is that this style of distribution is something I'd actually fall for. I mean, pop ups and stuff are easy enough to ignore, but what about local flies for bands, business cards, and these tickets? Just goes to show that no matter how much protection you have on the tech side, there's always a social engineering way around it.
I mean for this infection to work, the victim has to be not only stupid, but also not lazy. It has to have a good infection rate.
*fixed*
IranAir Flight 655 never forget!
You don't even need a Virus or Malware to pull this off all you is a pay on link that takes your CC # and that likely will work even on super locked systems.
And that's before you notice that your local government is using a website like: http://qlmbix.ch/parkingticets.html
How is the average person supposed to know that a suspicious address? For all they know it could be some sort of acronym, and would the average Joe actually notice that the alleged government site doesn't have a .gov TLD?
The "parking ticket" gambit seems pretty weak too if you look around and notice two things:
1. You are parked legally
2. Everybody else has these "tickets"
1. All the more reason you'd want to contest it
2. Maybe the people leaving the tickets are instructed to ticket only 1/10 cars down a street? Even if not, I see people getting tickets all in a row quite often. Metermaids cut wide swaths with their pens.
I mean for this infection to work, the victim has to be not only stupid, but also not lazy. It has to have a low infection rate.
We have an abundance of uneducated people in the US, specifically those who don't know or understand the dangers of the internet. Also, a low infection rate is all it takes to get some return on investment.
To top it all off, Americans are first and foremost a scared people, especially of our own government and of forces outside our borders. Heaven forbid you piss off the government by not paying a parking ticket! You might lose your constitutional rights! Maybe they'll stop protecting you?!?!?! Maybe your a teenager who doesn't want your parents to find out?
Somehow these scams pay off and they only need a few suckers. And a new sucker is born every minute. Why do you think the "three cards, find the ace" scam still works in the alleyways and slums? It's one of the oldest scams in the book and those who are not educated don't know how it works and are easily manipulated.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
Accidentally modded redundant instead of insightful. Sorry. Posting to kill moderation.
Isn't this awesome new moderation system such a great part of this fantastic new layout? Nobody liked the "confirm" button from the previous system, right?
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Use a Mac. I never have to worry about new and directed attacks like this with OS X. The only way this could affect a Mac user is if they go to a website, and run a downloaded executable as root... something no legit parking ticket site would do.
The victim gets all pissed and wants to see the evidence and yell at someone. Their rational thinking (what little they have) goes out the window.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
malware is, and always will be, a stupid user issue. You can't solve stupid user issues with technology. Antivirus software is a sham, and a virus itself.
Ok, but when I try to go to XXXXXXX.COM it doesn't say anything about parking tickets. It says they want to help me find Car Insurance, Chat, Work From Home, Cheap Flights and other stuff. What now?
There is no -1 Disagree mod. Slashdot.org/faq defines mod options. USE IT.