Cyber Criminals Using Fake Browser Warning to Distribute Zeus Trojan

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

Cyber scoundrels have begun taking grammar seriously

Security researchers and cyber criminals are locked in a ceaseless game of cat and mouse, with the latter constantly trying to come up with new ways of delivering malware. However, this does not mean there is no room for an old workhorse like the notorious Zeus malware, a trojan virus that has been in circulation for over seven years now.
Researchers at PhishLabs recently stumbled on a fake browser warning that is being used to distribute Zeus, which cyber scoundrels have been known to use to steal banking info. But the use of Zeus is not the only thing that caught the eye of the company’s researchers. They found the fake warning to be better written than what they are used to seeing.
“Another observation that differentiates this malicious prompt from others is the language usage and spelling. Generally speaking, grammar and spelling are often indicators of fake or malicious requests that lead to malware but cyber criminals have caught on to this vulnerability and stepped up their game. Although it is not perfect, the warning observed in this case was much more accurate than what we usually see,” Paul Burbage, a threat analyst at PhishLabs, wrote in a recent blog post, warning that clicking on the “Download and Install” results in the user being redirected to a malicious site that downloads the malware.
“Web users should be on the lookout for this kind of social engineering that capitalizes on fear and misleads users to believe the alert is showing up based on user-defined preferences. Zeus is a dangerous malware that continues to be distributed through sophisticated avenues. In the past, Zeus infections have led to exploitation of machines, making them part of a botnet, as well as bank account takeovers and fraud. Please stay tuned – we will post more information as our R.A.I.D. further investigates the threat.”
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