Slashdot Mirror
Skype Trojan Can Log VoIP Conversations
Slatterz writes "Security giant Symantec claims to have found the public release of source code for a Trojan that targets Skype users. Trojan.Peskyspy is spyware which records a voice call and stores it as an MP3 file for later transmission. An infected machine will use the software that handles audio processing within a computer and save the call data as an MP3. The file is then sent over the internet to a predefined server where the attacker can listen to the recorded conversations."
Does this affect the Mac OS X version, or does at least one of the callers have to be on a PC?
-- thinkyhead software and media
Somehow, Oprah's got to be behind this...
Skype sells condoms now???!?
I wonder if they're talking about this trojan http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/08/26/144249/Coder-of-Swiss-Wiretapping-Trojan-Speaks-Out
Good point. If it can't access an mp3 encoder, then it can't record it to an mp3. On the other hand, what stops it from using any available audio encoder installed?
signature is pants
Wouldn't this quickly take enough disk space to be easily noticeable?
Seems more like something that would be used by investigators, employers, jealous partners, and their like. As TFA says, "The downside for the malware creators is that they would need a lot of time on their hands to go through hours of Skype audio files to find anything of monetary interest." The idea is so obvious that this is likely why we haven't seen this before.
I'd mod him up if he wasn't posting AC
Oh, and if I wasn't posting
And if I had mod points
It appears that a guy named Ruben Unteregger published the source code on his site at http://www.megapanzer.com/source-code/#skypetrojan
According to his site, he removed a plugin system from the source as well as code to bypass firewalls, but he'll add it back in at a later date.
From looking at the source, this is heavily geared toward Windows, so the current iteration of the source doesn't affect OS X at this time.
Given all the DRM Microsoft is adding to Windows at the behest of the MPAA and RIAA, I am surprised that an app can even GET access to the raw audio anymore.
Does this affect the Mac OS X version, or does at least one of the callers have to be on a PC?
It's written for Windows, like usual, and at least one of the callers would have to be infected.
Source: http://www.megapanzer.com/2009/08/25/skype-trojan-sourcecode-available-for-download/
Here I sit, all broken hearted.
Came to poop, but only farted.
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Forgive me this unusal contact, but the circumstanes of perfection are such.
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Ringotha Dingo
Adminsistrator African Europeein Internets
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Really?
My phone comically confuses the most basic of voice commands, but I should be afraid it is scraping my calls for keywords?
What stops the trojan from statically linking an mp3 encoder? Or just downloading a dynamic library if there are size constraints?
This is no worse than the US Department of Homeland Security does on an ordinary weekday. So, why should I be concerned? I don't have anything to worry about, since I don't have anything I need to hide! We should trust the hackers to use their authority responsibly.
Yup. You're missing something. They hide those kind of details in the article.
Go ahead. Read it. I won't tell anyone.
That would be LAME.
Slashdot... Didnt the person who created this release this open source before the weekend?? Symantec is a little slow on the ball... http://it.slashdot.org/story/09/08/26/144249/Coder-of-Swiss-Wiretapping-Trojan-Speaks-Out
you know you can fry stuff putting things into things that dont like the things you put into it...
As usual, I see no Linux support at all. I've almost made up my mind to format and install Windows again. Damn those rat bastard virus writers! Always forgetting us lusers!
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
Having worked in communications for both government and private organizations for ten years, I can tell you there's some interesting stuff out there.
But you can't actually tell us anything specific about the interesting stuff out there without having to kill us, right?
I'd rather you rationally disagree than irrationally agree.
Nah, I wouldn't have to kill you. I'd just go to prison for a long time.
512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
I'm gonna call myself and play all my CDs through Skype. That way the RIAA will unleash their pack of lawyers on the scammer who illegally downloads all those songs as MP3s off my computer.
Nonsense. LAME ain't an mp3 encoder!
The general idea that monitoring systems have been in place for a long time (and continue to evolve) is nothing new. The specifics of what's actually deployed now and how it operates is not, however, public knowledge. That's what people go to jail over, as they rightfully should, not the basic premise that (shock of shocks) telcos can monitor what go across their networks.
But I'm sure that's what you really meant, right?
512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
I've tried Symantec products. This could not be true.
If they wrote a virus it would have a 500MB install and you'ld have to click the EULA four times. It would take 90% of CPU and 90% of RAM while doing nothing and require 100% of everything for a couple of hours to update before it could do something. The updater would break and you'ld have to reinstall Windows, then the update prep package, and then the virus to get it to activate at all. And when it was finally working, it would break before connecting to its control server.
If you wanted a virus that bad, you might as well install Windows 98. At least the user interface would be similar to Symantec.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
So we discuss "Coder of Swiss Wiretapping Trojan Speaks Out" on Aug 26; http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/08/26/144249, in which TFS says: "Last night, he published the source code of his Skype-Trojan under the GPL." (http://www.megapanzer.com/2009/08/25/skype-trojan-sourcecode-available-for-download/), and now the Einsteins at Symantec "claims to have found the public release of source code". Fucking brilliant.