Threat Lab

Any time a malware variant hits the news we get numerous requests for information. It is typically quite difficult to provide any information based on names that have been given to threats. A simple way to illustrate this is by using a service such as Virustotal and seeing what name other AV companies use for the same threat. I found a recent article about a new threat that contained a link to a write-up by an AV company including MD5 hashes for the file samples used for the write-up. Below are screen shots of the Virustotal results for one of those files.

The first thing I noticed was that there are numerous names that this is detected as, and they are rather inconsistent. Many of the names used are generic, and there are quite a few heuristic detections included in the results. Another thing I noticed was that the name of the malware from the article and the write-up for this file is nowhere to be found. The AV company whose write-up I got the sample from does detect the file, just not by the name that was in the write-up.

What this shows is that, even though this malware sample was found with a specific name, it is widely detected by generic and heuristic detections. The name that it is detected as becomes rather irrelevant. Identifying new malware and taking it apart to determine how it works and what it does is certainly important, but at the end of the day, simply detecting a file as malicious and removing it is what really matters.

Lots of blogs, articles and posts have been circulating recently about the increase in mac malware, mostly due to the publishing of Bit9’s report. I think it is wise to clarify what is really happening in the world of malware for Macs. Yes, there has been an increase in malware but what category do they fall under? What the consumers should be aware of and what they should be less concerned with.

Most recently a Mac ransomware proof of concept was announced and as expected the media lost their minds. I have had the opportunity to speak with the creator of the POC and also was able to look into what it does along with what it means for future malware. The author is a threat researcher/developer named Rafael Marques from Brazil. His POC has brought massive attention to the security needs of OS X and the lack of concern that most people feel about Macs. His motive was not to create a malware to use in public mass but to help educate people that Macs are not as safe as they think. I asked him why he decided to create this and his response was to inform people “about the myth that there is no malware for mac”. I couldn’t agree more with him, I recently wrote a blog about the history of mac malware along with another one on how adware is bypassing popular ad-blockers. Although the program he wrote can do as intended, it would need to bypass a few security features thus making it a little more difficult but not impossible. A quote from Cory Doctorow best sums it up, “never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time-rich and cash-poor.”

This is where the public typically gets lost in the industry terms. The proof of concept that he created is malware, but most of the encounters that we come across on macs are not this intense, these are instead PUAs (potentially unwanted application). PUAs are still considered malware for the most part, but they are not really looked at as something to be as concerned with. 2015 has really been the year of PUAs. Every day I go through samples that contain a majority of these PUAs, most of which are adware. These adware programs will try to hide a legit programs and run in the background just to get you to click on annoying pop-ups. VSearch, Genieo, IronCore, Bundlore, Wedownload… These are just a few that we come across every day.

While these programs don’t cause any real harm to the system they do help in showing consumers that Macs are not invincible. Adware is more like a testing ground for malware authors, they create these to figure out ways around security and users. Once an author is aware of how to bypass all the security measures, what’s to stop them from writing a more complex threat? Of course one could argue that my intentions are to get people to buy anti-virus, but I didn’t go into this career to sell a product, I choose my path to help build security and promote it to the world. I think it is very important that people began taking Mac security serious. The next time a ransomware for mac comes out, it may not have a researcher like Rafael creating it to bring awareness, it may have someone wanting to make money on your expense.

We know that Cryptowall 3.0 has been hugely successful for the cybercriminals netting them nearly $325 million in its debut year. With over 800 command and control URLs and over 400,000 attempted infections it is easily the most prolific threat of 2015.

Here it is, what we’ve all been waiting for – the newest edition of Cryptowall. This ransomware comes out with new revisions almost as much as Apple does with iPhones. The bad news is that both will set you back $700.

This is the locally saved html web page that it sends you to. If you don’t notice that, you’ll definitely notice that all your files have been encrypted and a new update is that the entire name of the file has been randomized so you no longer know which file is which. This is to create confusion on the severity of damage and increase the chance that you’ll pay out. As you can see from the first image they congratulate and welcome you to CryptoWall community – how nice. The rest of the instructions are pretty standard on informing you how install a layered tor browser and then connect to the darknet to pay them and get your files back. Notice the additional information they have at the bottom:

These guys actually claim that the CryptoWall is NOT malicious and not intended to harm your data “Together we make the Internet a better and safer place” – who are they fooling? Either way this is new and not seen on previous variants.

On to the payment website and and we can see they immediately want $700. It wasn’t even a year ago when the default payment was $300…

There are some new features like the a free decrypt which was first introduced by coinvault that we discovered a while back. It obviously has helped convince people that the decryption routine is fairly easy to get your files back and that the ransom is genuine and you will get your files back.

We’re currently reversing the sample and will have a more in-depth writeup of its infiltration, payload obfuscation, injection, and file encryption next week.

MD5 analyzed: E73806E3F41F61E7C7A364625CD58F65

Additional MD5 seen:

63358929C0628C869627223E910A21BF
5C88FCF39881B9B49DBD4BD3411E1CCF
32ACFA356104A9CE2403798851512654
CE38545D82858C7A7414B4BD660364A9
5384F752E3A2B59FAD9D0F143CE0215A
CF6D69E47B81FA744052DA33917D40F3
53C82D574E054F02B3163271262E0E74
A891CED376809CF05EFE4BB02EB2CBF3
5384F752E3A2B59FAD9D0F143CE0215A

Webroot will catch this specific variant in real time before any encryption takes place. We’re always on the lookout for more, but just in case of new zero day variants, remember that with encrypting ransomware the best protection is going to be a good backup solution. This can be either through the cloud or offline external storage. Keeping it up to date is key so as not to lose productivity. Webroot has backup features built into our consumer product that allow you to have directories constantly synced to the cloud. If you were to get infected by a zero day variant of encrypting ransomware you can just restore your files back as we save a snapshot history for each of your files up to ten previous copies. Please see our community post on best practices for securing your environment against encrypting ransomware.

As National Cyber Security Awareness month is coming to an end, the 2016 presidential election cycle is building momentum and increasingly becoming our nation’s primary focus. Love it or hate it, the presidential elections also create an ideal environment for thieves and cybercriminals alike. Preying on the media’s attention to buzzworthy news, hackers are busy preparing scams to exploit the attention and distraction it inevitability causes.

While the election night is still over a year away, there will certainly be a plethora of media attention given to the event. From social media’s nonstop discovery of breaking news stories to the saturation of TV with campaign ads, the election will become more front and center in our everyday lives. And in this flurry of information are many threats and scams.

While I cannot predict the specific events of the future, I can certainly look at the past to identify trends that still occur today. One such trend and tactic is to use large media events and topics as bait to lure people towards less trustworthy websites, or, in the case of an election year, to fake campaign donation websites. There are many examples from the past, from the death of Osama Bin Laden to the tragic disappearance of MH370, fake websites and social media scams were quick to follow.

So how do you stay protected?

In the wake of a big news story, make sure to be on high alert and question your curiosity when reading up on the event online or through social media. Don’t just click without thinking, consider the source of the link you’re about to click and the destination of that website. Using security technology is also helpful when browsing the web. Aside from using WSA, I also recommend using Chrome with a responsible ad-blocking extension. This combination will keep you defended from online attacks in the event you stumble across a malicious website.

Another tactic that has grown considerably in the past year is the use of telephone-based scams. While these attacks often target banking customers, the presidential election cycle creates a perfect opportunity for attacks where scammers will pose as a campaign representative requesting donations. While this isn’t technically cybercrime per se, these attacks often attempt to gain enough information to lead to further compromises in the cybercrime space.

So how can I tell if the caller is a scammer?

As a rule of thumb, I would not provide any personal information, email address, phone number, etc. to anyone who cold calls, no matter who they claim to be. That said, the election cycle creates a temporary exception in where you might not be surprised to receive a call requesting campaign financial support. Phone scammers can be very convincing and have answers to many initial security concerns. The person might suggest sending you an email with more information about the cause they are campaigning for, which will then be used to further the scam along. A good way to handle such callers is being firm in that you don’t give out such information, and request to be removed from their calling list. If you want to donate, call or visit the foundations website directly. You can also improve telephone-based security on a smartphone by using a phone ID app such as TrueCaller. Such a service can provide you with community-based information about an incoming call.

Ultimately, these are just two examples of threats that will use the 2016 presidential election to their advantage. As the election nears, the number of such attacks will increase and so must your security awareness. While National Cybersecurity Awareness Month has wound down, the lessons taught and learned will continue to be important in order to stay in front of the adapting threat environment.

Recently I was asked to give my thoughts on mobile malware. I was asked this in relation to a number of reports released earlier in the year that were in my view misinterpreted.  At the time many experts claimed mobile malware had been a much-exaggerated threat, based on such a large proportion of unwanted mobile apps/programs were seen to be adware.

Personally, I think it’s better to discuss mobile threats, mobile threats are more than just mobile malware.  Many legitimate Apps have been seen over the last few years to be open to serious data leakage and only recently we have seen the discovery of Android’s “Stagefright” vulnerability – pegged as the “worst Android bug to date”.  Receiving a simple MMS message with crafted exploit code, and without any interact from the victim, a hacker is able to do anything from stealing private communications to possible taking control of the device itself.

Read more: https://goo.gl/xCvGa6

In September, we saw “XcodeGhost”, this highlights the Apple App Store isn’t immune to serving up compromised apps.  The Xcode development tools are used by iOS app makers.  The original package was copied, modified, and then re-distributed for download.  Apps built using the modified version were injected with malicious code, then published to the App Store.

Read more: http://goo.gl/VYEBgk

Mobile malware is a problem and is getting bigger with the ever increasing growth of the mobile market.  There is concern that enterprise decision makers may misinterpret such reports and may not take mobile security as seriously as they should.  Enterprises should be very concerned about mobile threats, this includes, mobile malware, mobile vulnerabilities and mobile data loss.

Mobile adware itself is a huge problem and needs to be addressed.  Adware can collect personal information from the device it’s installed on, often without consent, including many pieces of PPI.  Enterprises allowing such devices to connect to the private network should be seriously concerned, information is power, and company secrets are a secret for a reason.

The recent case of “Gunpoder” also highlights a new strategy malware writers are using.  The game emulator app looks and behaves like adware, all while stealing PPI from the infected Android device. Many AV companies classified this malicious app as adware and many users thinking that adware was ‘more annoying than dangerous’ allowed the app to run.

Read more: http://goo.gl/Wm6Oyz

Cyberattacks are more prolific than ever, and businesses are clearly struggling in the battle of keeping their employee and customer data safe.  Cybercriminals look for the simplest method to achieve their objective, if that’s through a mobile device and an uneducated user, then so be it. Mobile infiltration is often a precursor to further attacks.

Ignoring mobile malware and security, at any level, could have huge repercussions on a business’ reputation and customer loyalty as well as financially – it’s important not to leave the front door open.

So what can we do?

With all security implementations, striking the balance between mobile security and productivity is an on-going challenge. At present I would suggest it’s weighted towards productivity.  Productive employees are great, but at the same time the company’s assets have to be properly secured. Therefore the fight against mobile malware needs to be appropriately evaluated in terms of personnel and monetary resources.

Mobile security is just another problem that arrived on the doorstep of the security and/or IT team, and on many occasions without any extra budget allocation. Like with many facets of cybersecurity it only becomes a priority after the inadequate defences are breached and company stakeholders want answers.

Companies need a mobile security strategy. They also need to follow best practices and keep abreast of industry information and security bulletins.  Any strategy must consider corporate devices and BYODs. Organisations need to keep on top of patch management and understand what technologies best address their security needs, these may include centralised app management and app reputation technologies and in case of device loss – consider encryption and remote wiping.

Like with any device on a network, threat protection should be installed and kept up to date.  Webroot offers mobile security apps for both Android and iPhone. The corporate network can be protected further by directing mobile traffic through special gateways with customised firewalls and security controls.  Mobile devices should be configured to avoid unsecured wireless networks.

It goes without saying that devices need strong authentication and password controls.

Remember, mobile security and security in general is a continuous practice. It’s essential to implement a comprehensive mobile security strategy, then check how well training and policies are being interpreted and implemented with regular mobile security audits and tests.  Communication between the organisation and its employees is vital – the risks and potential consequences need to be understood by employees through continued user education.  At the same time organisations need to understand and respect the now slightly blurred boundary between business and personal.

Cybercriminals only need to find one hole in the defence, whereas security professionals have to secure all possible points of entry.  It’s a battle we may lose from time to time, but we have a responsibility to make it as hard as possible for our adversaries.

As the 12th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month enters its final week, we’ll look at the future of technology and the potential vulnerabilities that come with it. As President Barack Obama has stated, “Cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers the United States faces,” and that is why we all need to be mindful of the “smart world” we now live in. It is our shared responsibility to be aware of the importance of cyber-security as the number of Internet-connected devices around us increase. Surveys show that in 2014, 47% of adults in the United States had their personal information exposed by hackers.

Our phones, tablets, and personal computers are the most obvious devices that need protection, but what about the “Internet-Of-Things” devices? From vehicles to watches to kitchen appliances, more and more of our household objects are becoming “Smart” items, and each device stores and transmits private personal data. Health monitors, baby monitors, coffee makers, home environmental controls; whatever the device, if it connects to the internet, it can potentially be exploited by a determined hacker.

This is something that all device manufacturers need to keep in mind, since most consumers won’t usually have the ability to install security software on these devices themselves. But there are a few security tips that we should all keep in mind:

1. Protect your network. This means changing the default Administrator password on your router, using strong (WPA2) wireless network encryption, and changing your WiFi password occasionally. See our “Tips for Improving Router Security” blog post for more information.

2. Protect the devices you can. Whether you use a PC, Mac, or Android device, you will need an antivirus application to protect you against malware. If your network is breached, having devices that are well protected will sometimes deter a hacker who is looking for easy targets. Webroot provides this defense with cloud-based malware detection that automatically stays up to date.

3. Don’t be an early-adopter. When a cool new device comes out, it’s tempting to be among the first to have it… but the first versions of any “smart” products are the most prone to security flaws. By waiting until a second generation device or a first software update for the device, you may reduce your risk of using an insecure product.

While the technology of the future becomes increasingly Internet-connected, it is our shared responsibility to remain vigilant about security and ensure that it is incorporated at every point of access.

For more information about this month’s themes and events, see the Official Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Security Awareness Month page.

It is a long-standing joke that if you do a web search on any medical symptom, it will always lead to a web diagnosis of cancer. In the same manner, searching for any computer problem will always lead you to conclude that you have a nasty computer virus. Chances are you have never had, and never will have a computer virus, as this handy Venn diagram from XKCD.com demonstrates:

Now perhaps I’m being a bit nit-picky about the connotation of the term “virus” but there is quite a bit of misinformation and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) out there when it comes to computer viruses. Wikipedia defines a computer virus as “a malware program that, when executed, replicates by inserting copies of itself (possibly modified) into other computer programs, data files, or the boot sector of the hard drive.” The key here is that a virus spreads via various methods of replication – infecting other files. The vast majority of malware does not do this, and a virus is not going to change your home page, display pop-up ads, or install a toolbar as adware or Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs) may do. Your printer issues are not being caused by a virus either.

If you search for the name of any browser redirect, toolbar, pop-up ad, or any number of other computer problems you will almost always end up on a web page that claims the issue is due to a virus. These pages are rarely from reputable security vendors, and are often security blogs that feature prominent advertising for various legitimate and not-so-legitimate security software. The term “virus” is used to make you think the problem is far worse than it actually is in hopes that you will purchase the advertised security programs. These tactics are similar to those used by Rogue Security Software and tech support scams.

If you are searching for more information on a computer problem, pay attention to the sites that come up in the results, and to the terminology used. If the term “virus” comes up, chances are that the result is not from a trusted security company or computer support forum. There are several general computer support forums out there which offer excellent free support for general computing issues. For issues related to specific programs or hardware, most companies have their own support forums these days, and in many cases someone else has experienced the same issue that you are having.

In a world full of new malware and various types of cyber threats continuing to pop up on a daily basis, the average consumer has reached a point where a good antivirus security solution is an absolute must; even when dealing with so called “immune” operating systems like Mac OSX. However with so many antivirus products to choose from for the Mac, how is the average consumer supposed to make sound decisions about which product will give them the best protection and the greatest peace of mind?

These days, most consumers in the market for a new product simply jump on Google and look for general product reviews; however with so many mixed results, and an array of product features to choose from and compare, the antivirus playing field can quickly become very confusing and overwhelming. As an alternative, another source of information that consumers turn to for data about antivirus solutions are third party antivirus (AV) testing companies. For years these companies have performed baseline comparative tests on many of the most popular AV products in an effort to test the product’s malware detection and remediation capabilities, as well as looking at how machine performance is affected by the product being installed and run on the user’s machine. In recent years they have also started to do testing for AV products being developed for the Mac OSX platform. The results of these tests are typically published with an overall bottom-line score for each product being tested, which is based on the product’s overall malware/virus detection percentage.

As a result, the average consumer looking at these tests will use some type of previous brand recognition or family/friend influence, in conjunction with the AV testing scores, in order to make a swift decision on the “best” antivirus software for their needs. It is easy for the human psyche to say, “Oh this product scored 100%, so it must be good.” The issue with this type of decision making process is that unfortunately the assumption is made that all AV products are created equal, and that the Mac AV testing platform and testing methodology creates a true simulation of real world execution and installation of the malware being tested. This could not be further from the truth.

In order to test the true efficacy of an antivirus product, AV testing companies should actually be installing the malware and executing the viruses in question, in order to see how the antivirus product handles an actual simulation of an end-user infection. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that AV testing companies generally do not use “real world” simulations of malware executions and installs when testing Mac AV products. Instead they perform their tests using a method called “zoo testing,” which involves putting hundreds of malicious file samples into a folder and then putting that folder somewhere on the testing PC before running their test. Often these files do not even reside inside of the full Mac bundles necessary for execution or have even had their executable bit stripped from the binary, in effect making them benign to any system. The issue here is that none of the malware is actually executed or installed on the testing machine, nor does it constitute any kind of real threat to the system. In addition, this type of approach is often easily “gamed” by AV companies that are simply looking to do well on the test.

Without getting too technical, in recent years advancing technologies in the antivirus industry have continued to make leaps and bounds in terms of the detection and remediation methods and backend systems that are being used to detect malicious activity and protect end users from security breaches on their machines. Webroot has been a pioneer in implementing technologies that are forward-thinking, adaptive and have brought our product efficacy to unprecedented levels. Unfortunately, in order to actually be correctly tested on the effectiveness of these newer methods and technologies, it requires AV testing companies to install real infections, rather than a zoo of files that can’t even be executed. AV testing companies have been reluctant to adapt their Mac testing methodologies to changing technologies and approaches. So, what does this say about the validity of AV test scores? Does this approach make AV testing results a useful tool for sound consumer decision making when deciding on a Mac security solution?

AV testing has been a big concern for many companies over the years. We all want our products to perform at a high level and carry a positive market leading reputation. For many AV companies this has been true to the extent that they focus their primary client development efforts towards malware detection for AV tests, rather than real life infections. Isn’t this approach a detriment to the effectiveness of the product for the end-user? Here at Webroot, due to known issues in the AV testing climate, we have shifted priorities in order to drive our efforts and innovation into developing the best security products and customer experience that we can attain. We believe that our excellent standard for real world efficacy, in addition to the many value added features that are built into our products, bring the greatest value to our customer base.

We’re regularly asked about phone calls from “Microsoft” claiming that your computer is infected, and whether or not it is a scam – it is. Sometimes it’s a call from another “tech support” company, or a warning message on your screen. The truth is that Microsoft and other companies will not contact you to tell you that you have a computer problem through a phone call, email, or a pop-up warning message.

These scams are nothing new. We blogged about this previously in April of 2013 and a lot has changed in the malware world since then, but these scams continue. That we’re bringing these scams up again tells you one thing though – people continue to fall for them – don’t let yourself become a victim of one of these scammers.

If you’re contacted by one of these scammers, hang up, don’t click that link, and don’t call that number. Usually they’ll try to get them to let you access your computer remotely – don’t let them, and certainly don’t give them any personal information or a credit card number.

As long as you don’t let them log on to your computer remotely or download and install any software because of these scams you probably don’t have anything to worry about. These scammers don’t typically install malware on your computer; the scam is to get you to pay for tech support that you don’t actually need.

More information can be found on scams using the Microsoft name at the following links:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/msname.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/avoid-phone-scams.aspx

In a letter to customers sent today, Dow Jones & Co has revealed that its services were breached, possibly exposing the credit and debit card information of customers. Reportedly only impacting “fewer than 3,500 individuals,” the information provided shows that the unauthorized accesses took place between August 2012 and July 2015.

“In today’s world – where literally anyone connected to the Internet is vulnerable – it’s no longer just a question of spending, it’s a question of processes and skills. Following the Dow Jones breach, I’m heartened that the CEO has publically said that no company is immune to cyberattacks. Solely recognizing that all organizations need comprehensive security solutions is the first step to reducing the onslaught of breaches we’ve witnessed over the last few years,” said Grayson Milbourne, Security Intelligence Director of Webroot.

“As large company breaches have revealed, security isn’t always a question of budget but also a question of skills and background checks. The name of the game is to find out what is going on in an environment and reduce the risk. Overall, there is a clear trend of attacks that aim to compromise companies who store vast amounts of user data. These businesses need to prepare for continued attacks by updating their security policies and systems to be on high alert.”

While Dow Jones & Co is reporting the information has been possibly compromised, they are also reporting that no evidence is pointing toward the information actually being used in authorized manners.

Has your home page changed? Are you getting pop-up ads that are “Provided by” some company you’ve never heard of? Are your search results coming from a different search engine? Welcome to the world of Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs.) While they can be annoying, PUAs are easily avoided.

The easiest way to avoid PUAs is to only install programs from their official download sites. Third-party download sites continue to be one of the main sources for PUAs. If you search for software downloads, chances are you will end up on a third-party site rather than an official download page and end up inadvertently installing PUAs.

When installing software, always pay attention to the install process – don’t just click “next” until the install is complete. Most installers allow you to opt-out of installing optional software, but they don’t always make it easy. Pay attention to any available install options, and always choose a custom install when possible. Watch for “skip” or “decline” buttons that will allow you to not install bundled applications. Look for check boxes that ask you if you want to install additional applications of change your home page or search settings. If you follow these suggestions it will help you to avoid installing PUAs.