PandaLabs has detected a new Briz.R Trojan which allows an attacker to gain remote control of affected computers and redirect users to spoofed web pages designed to steal confidential data.
The origin of Briz.R is related to the scam of creating and selling customized versions of Briz detected and dismantled by PandaLabs a few months ago.
The origin of Briz.R is related to the scam of creating and selling customized versions of Briz detected and dismantled by PandaLabs a few months ago.
According to Luis Corrons, director of PandaLabs, “after inspecting this new Trojan’s code, we are almost certain that this is the creation of the author that designed the first Briz Trojan. It seems that, as the customized Trojans business could not go ahead, the author has decided to use them directly to gain financial profit.”
Briz.R can reach computers through any means, including web pages, downloads of suspicious programs, etc. However, the author has not distributed it widely in order to try to avoid detection by security companies.
The Briz.R attack begins with the installation of a file called iexplore.exe, which serves to detect whether there is an Internet connection. If it detects a connection, it downloads another file called ieschedule.exe, which stores the configuration parameters of the Trojan, such as the port number through which it will send the information stolen.
Another component downloaded is ieserver.exe, which creates a web server on the computer. The function of this web server is to redirect the user to spoofed web pages, designed to steal personal data, when the user tries to access certain web addresses. Many of these web pages belong to online financial services. If the user enters data in the spoofed pages, the Trojan will steal it and send it to the cybercriminal.
This web server also allows the attacker to gain remote control of the affected computer. It does this by installing an application programmed in PHP called phpRemoteView.
Briz.R also downloads a component called smss.exe, which modifies the system hosts file. These modifications prevent access to a large number of web pages related to IT security.
TruPrevent proactive protection technologies have detected and blocked Briz.R without needing to be able to identify it first, and therefore, without needing the updates. For this reason, computers with these technologies installed have been protected from the moment this threat first appeared.
“There has been a marked increase in the number of malicious code like Briz.R, which are designed to go unnoticed by users and security companies alike, with the latter unable to generate vaccines as they are unaware of its existence. This problem needs to be resolved with technological solutions. Traditional antiviruses are no longer sufficient, and must be complemented with proactive technologies, able to detect the presence of malware with no need for updates,” adds Corrons.
To help as many users as possible scan and disinfect their systems, Panda Software offers its free, online anti-malware solution, ActiveScan, which now also detects spyware, at http://www.activescan.com. Webmasters who would like to include ActiveScan on their websites can get the HTML code, free from http://www.pandasoftware.com/partners/webmasters.
Briz.R can reach computers through any means, including web pages, downloads of suspicious programs, etc. However, the author has not distributed it widely in order to try to avoid detection by security companies.
The Briz.R attack begins with the installation of a file called iexplore.exe, which serves to detect whether there is an Internet connection. If it detects a connection, it downloads another file called ieschedule.exe, which stores the configuration parameters of the Trojan, such as the port number through which it will send the information stolen.
Another component downloaded is ieserver.exe, which creates a web server on the computer. The function of this web server is to redirect the user to spoofed web pages, designed to steal personal data, when the user tries to access certain web addresses. Many of these web pages belong to online financial services. If the user enters data in the spoofed pages, the Trojan will steal it and send it to the cybercriminal.
This web server also allows the attacker to gain remote control of the affected computer. It does this by installing an application programmed in PHP called phpRemoteView.
Briz.R also downloads a component called smss.exe, which modifies the system hosts file. These modifications prevent access to a large number of web pages related to IT security.
TruPrevent proactive protection technologies have detected and blocked Briz.R without needing to be able to identify it first, and therefore, without needing the updates. For this reason, computers with these technologies installed have been protected from the moment this threat first appeared.
“There has been a marked increase in the number of malicious code like Briz.R, which are designed to go unnoticed by users and security companies alike, with the latter unable to generate vaccines as they are unaware of its existence. This problem needs to be resolved with technological solutions. Traditional antiviruses are no longer sufficient, and must be complemented with proactive technologies, able to detect the presence of malware with no need for updates,” adds Corrons.
To help as many users as possible scan and disinfect their systems, Panda Software offers its free, online anti-malware solution, ActiveScan, which now also detects spyware, at http://www.activescan.com. Webmasters who would like to include ActiveScan on their websites can get the HTML code, free from http://www.pandasoftware.com/partners/webmasters.
