[real-eyes] Fw: please read and take note.
- From: "Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 9 May 2007 09:41:09 -0500
New Trojan Horse Impersonates Windows Reactivation Message
Barry Levine, Mon May 7, 2:04 PM ET
A new Trojan Horse is making the rounds, impersonating Windows reactivation
and antipiracy
messages with the goal of duping users into divulging their credit card
information.
According to computer security firm Symantec, the Trojan, dubbed
Trojan.Kardphisher,
creates a Windows look-alike screen, headlined "Microsoft piracy control,"
and indicates
that the copy of Windows was activated by another user and needs to be
reactivated.
"To help reduce software piracy, please reactivate your copy of Windows
now," it
instructs. "You must activate Windows before you can continue to use it."
The user
is given two choices: reactivating Windows over the Internet immediately or
doing
it later. No other applications can be run, and Task Manager cannot be
launched to
force-quit the Trojan. Yes or No? If reactivation is deferred, the system is
shut
down. And if users proceed with the fake reactivation, a second screen
appears, requesting
private information that includes location, contact information, a credit
card number,
the card's expiration date and three-digit security number, and even an ATM
PIN.
The Trojan informs the user that the credit card information will not be
charged.
But, once entered, the information is sent to the fraud's perpetrators to
use as
they wish. The initial screen even references an actual Microsoft antipiracy
site:
microsoft.com/piracy.
Symantec said that the Trojan affects , , Windows Server 2003, and even
earlier versions
of Windows, including 95, 98, and NT.
Sometimes, Windows does indeed require reactivation, such as after
substantial hardware
upgrades, but Microsoft does not ask for financial information. The Trojan's
request
for reactivation and its close resemblance to actual Windows screens make it
a potentially
effective attack against some users, Symantec said.
While Symantec has posted detailed instructions on how to remove the Trojan,
some
observers have noted that fake information can be entered to "activate" an
infected
Windows machine when prompted, so that the Trojan could then be removed.
Trust No One
"This Trojan teaches us all a good lesson -- Trust No One," wrote Symantec's
Takashi
Katsuki on the company's blog. "Sometimes the creators of Trojans attempt to
impersonate
Microsoft, a bank, or even a government organization. Whatever the warning
or message
says, we must make very sure it is genuine before giving up any personal
details,
financial or otherwise." It is far better to doubt a genuine request until
proper
verification is provided, Katsuki went on to say, than it is to blindly
place your
trust in a message simply because it appears to have come from a trusted
source.
"Sad though it may be," Katsuki wrote, "the days of leaving your front door
unlocked
are over. In these times, we not only need a lock on the door, we need a
security
guard watching the front door, the back door, and everywhere in between."
Created on ... May 08, 2007
To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go to
www.freelists.org/list/real-eyes
Other related posts:
- » [real-eyes] Fw: please read and take note.
