[gui-talk] Fwd: New Trojan Horse Warning

[Steve Pattison]

From: Parker at Vip conduit Vipcomm at mchsi.com
To: VIP Announce List VIP-Announce at googlegroups.com
New Trojan Horse Impersonates Windows Reactivation Message
Barry Levine, Mon May 7, 2:04 PM ET
A new Trojan Horse is making the rounds, impersonating Windows reactivation and antipiracy
messages with the goal of duping users into divulging their credit card information.
According to computer security firm Symantec, the Trojan, dubbed Trojan.Kardphisher,
creates a Windows look-alike screen, headlined "Microsoft piracy control," and indicates
that the copy of Windows was activated by another user and needs to be reactivated.
"To help reduce software piracy, please reactivate your copy of Windows now," it
instructs. "You must activate Windows before you can continue to use it." The user
is given two choices: reactivating Windows over the Internet immediately or doing
it later. No other applications can be run, and Task Manager cannot be launched to
force-quit the Trojan. Yes or No? If reactivation is deferred, the system is shut
down. And if users proceed with the fake reactivation, a second screen appears, requesting
private information that includes location, contact information, a credit card number,
the card's expiration date and three-digit security number, and even an ATM PIN.
The Trojan informs the user that the credit card information will not be charged.
But, once entered, the information is sent to the fraud's perpetrators to use as
they wish. The initial screen even references an actual Microsoft antipiracy site:
microsoft.com/piracy.
Symantec said that the Trojan affects , , Windows Server 2003, and even earlier versions
of Windows, including 95, 98, and NT.
Sometimes, Windows does indeed require reactivation, such as after substantial hardware
upgrades, but Microsoft does not ask for financial information. The Trojan's request
for reactivation and its close resemblance to actual Windows screens make it a potentially
effective attack against some users, Symantec said.
While Symantec has posted detailed instructions on how to remove the Trojan, some
observers have noted that fake information can be entered to "activate" an infected
Windows machine when prompted, so that the Trojan could then be removed.
Trust No One
"This Trojan teaches us all a good lesson -- Trust No One," wrote Symantec's Takashi
Katsuki on the company's blog. "Sometimes the creators of Trojans attempt to impersonate
Microsoft, a bank, or even a government organization. Whatever the warning or message
says, we must make very sure it is genuine before giving up any personal details,
financial or otherwise." It is far better to doubt a genuine request until proper
verification is provided, Katsuki went on to say, than it is to blindly place your
trust in a message simply because it appears to have come from a trusted source.
"Sad though it may be," Katsuki wrote, "the days of leaving your front door unlocked
are over. In these times, we not only need a lock on the door, we need a security
guard watching the front door, the back door, and everywhere in between."
Created on ... May 08, 2007
Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com