BitDefender Reports Fake FDIC Notification Leading To Infamous ZBot

PRESS RELEASE

BUCHAREST, Romania " October 27, 2009 " BitDefender, an award-winning provider of innovative anti-malware security solutions, today reported that a fake notification claiming to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is leading recipients to fake files infected with malicious payload, currently detected by BitDefender as Trojan.Zbot.DLO, another version of the infamous ZBot.

The fake email informs recipients that their financial institution has filed for bankruptcy and urges them to check the status of their deposit insurance coverage by following an alleged customized link toward the FDIC Web site.

The link does not lead to the agency portal, but to a web page (registered on a .uk domain) that mimics a personal insurance on-line account, employing several visual identification components of the original FDIC Web site (namely the logo and the general formatting elements).

The page also provides a PDF and Word document that the user is encouraged to download and complete. However, upon downloading the fake files, the user does not receive the insurance e-form, but two executables carrying the malicious payload, Trojan.Zbot.DLO.

"This Trojan, which recently exploited the IRS' identity, continues to wreak havoc by stealing online banking information and infecting users with spyware,"said Catalin Cosoi, BitDefender's senior antispam researcher.

This Trojan has rootkit components that facilitate its hidden installation onto the compromised machines, either in the Windows or Program Files directory. ZBot injects code into several processes and adds exceptions to the Microsoft' Windows' Firewall, providing backdoor and server capabilities. It also sends sensitive information and listens on several ports for possible commands from the remote attackers. ZBot also attempts to connect and download files from servers with domain names apparently registered in the Russian Federation.

The latest variants are also able to steal bank-related information, login data, history of the visited web sites and other details the user inputs, while also capturing screenshots of the compromised machine's desktop.

For more technical details please visit Malwarecity at: http://www.malwarecity.com/

About BitDefender'

BitDefender is the creator of one of the industry's fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified security software. Since its inception in 2001, BitDefender has continued to raise the bar and set new standards in proactive threat prevention. Every day, BitDefender protects tens of millions of home and corporate users across the globe — giving them the peace of mind of knowing that their digital experiences will be secure. BitDefender solutions are distributed by a global network of value-added distribution and reseller partners in more than 100 countries worldwide. More information about BitDefender and its products are available at the company's security solutions press room. Additionally, BitDefender's www.malwarecity.com provides background and the latest updates on security threats helping users stay informed in the everyday battle against malware.