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Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard
Check Point Threat Intelligence and research teams recently discovered a high volume Chinese threat operation which has infected over 250 million computers worldwide. The installed malware, Fireball, takes over target browsers and turns them into zombies. Fireball has two main functionalities: the ability of running any code on victim computers–downloading any file or malware, and hijacking and manipulating infected users' web-traffic to generate ad-revenue. Currently, Fireball installs plug-ins and additional configurations to boost its advertisements, but just as easily it can turn into a prominent distributor for any additional malware.
This operation is run by Rafotech, a large digital marketing agency based in Beijing. Rafotech uses Fireball to manipulate the victims' browsers and turn their default search engines and home-pages into fake search engines. This redirects the queries to either yahoo.com or Google.com. The fake search engines include tracking pixels used to collect the users' private information. Fireball has the ability to spy on victims, perform efficient malware dropping, and execute any malicious code in the infected machines, this creates a massive security flaw in targeted machines and networks.
[...] According to our analysis, over 250 million computers worldwide have been infected: specifically, 25.3 million infections in India (10.1%), 24.1 million in Brazil (9.6%), 16.1 million in Mexico (6.4%), and 13.1 million in Indonesia (5.2%). The United States has witnessed 5.5 million infections (2.2%).
Based on Check Point's global sensors, 20% of all corporate networks are affected. Hit rates in the US (10.7%) and China (4.7%) are alarming; but Indonesia (60%), India (43%) and Brazil (38%) have much more dangerous hit rates.
Source: http://blog.checkpoint.com/2017/06/01/fireball-chinese-malware-250-million-infection/
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 02 2017, @05:51PM (2 children)
From the article:
Not so obvious. Like they PRESUME all people are Microsoft groupies.
So it's a malware in two versions. For Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS.
Which proves the point that those software ecosystems should be avoided.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday June 02 2017, @07:43PM (1 child)
Its also so vague on the actual effects or detection of this Fearsome Fireball that its hard to know just WHAT users are supposed to remove.
TFA is a masterpiece of uninformative reporting. Does it ever get around to one clear example?
One could almost make the case that Fireball is actually Windows 10, since the global install base [theverge.com] is roughly the same size.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday June 02 2017, @08:08PM
As for detection:
And seeing any of these addresses in outgoing traffic is likely a direct indicator of foul play.
But your point is straight on. The whole article reads just like a sales brief. Just puff and fluff but clinically clean of substance. It's probably easier to put up a honeypot and wait for any of these addresses to show up and then investigate the machine to find out some hard facts.