GameOver Zeus Virus Warning Systems Affected Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and 8 Microsoft Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2, and Server 2012 Overview GameOver Zeus (GOZ), a peer-to-peer (P2P) variant of the Zeus family of bank credential-stealing malware identified in September 2011, uses a decentralized network infrastructure of compromised personal computers and web servers to execute command-and-control. The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), is releasing this Technical Alert to provide further information about the GameOver Zeus botnet. Description GOZ, which is often propagated through spam and phishing messages, is primarily used by cybercriminals to harvest banking information, such as login credentials, from a victim’s computer. Infected systems can also be used to engage in other malicious activities, such as sending spam or participating in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Prior variants of the Zeus malware utilized a centralized command and control (C2) botnet infrastructure to execute commands. Centralized C2 servers are routinely tracked and blocked by the security community. GOZ, however, utilizes a P2P network of infected hosts to communicate and distribute data, and employs encryption to evade detection. These peers act as a massive proxy network that is used to propagate binary updates, distribute configuration files, and to send stolen data. Without a single point of failure, the resiliency of GOZ’s P2P infrastructure makes takedown efforts more difficult. Impact GAME OVER ZEUS- A system infected with GOZ may be employed to send spam, participate in DDoS attacks, and harvest users credentials for online services, including banking services. Solution Users are recommended to take the following actions to remediate GOZ infections: Use and maintain anti-virus software Change your passwords Keep your operating system and application software up-to-date Use anti-malware tools Beware!
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 09:57:42 +0000
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