BitDefender Releases February 2009 List of Top Ten E-threats

Security company BitDefender has published its list of ten most dangerous e-threats, indicating that drive-by-download components spread the maximum infections in February 2009.

Security researchers at the BitDefender state that these drive-by-downloads are very tiny pieces of malware joined together, with each piece capable of impairing security software on a user's computer.

The report reveals that one such drive-by-download, ad-serving malicious program, Trojan.Clicker.CM, occupies the first place on the list, accounting for 5.87% of all security infections in February 2009. This Trojan serves numerous commercial pop-ups within an active browser and entices the surfer to click. But if one clicks, the act generates profits for advertisements associated with a pay-per-click scheme in which every click results in a revenue earning.

On the second spot stands Trojan.Wimad.Gen.1, also called the Wimad Trojan, which pretends to be a player for malevolent ASF files. The Trojan is installed through a downloader Trojan called Trojan.Downloader.WMA.Wimad.S that occupies the tenth spot on the Top Ten E-Threats List. Nearly 4.39% of computers were identified as infected with the Wimad Trojan.

Furthermore, Trojan.AutorunINF.Gen is placed on the third spot accounting for 4.17% of all infections. The malware proliferates through specially created malicious autorun.inf files carried via USB drives or other portable devices, or through infected websites.

BitDefender further says that Trojan.Clicker.CM, Trojan.Wimad.Gen.1 and Trojan.AutorunINF.Gen also ranked similarly on the January 2009 Top Ten E-Threats List as the highest three codes respectively, but they accounted for different rates of infection.

Coming again to the February 2009 list, some other trojans made their presence on it that included Trojan.IFrame.GA, Trojan.Exploit.ANPI and Downloader.JS.Agent.F.

In addition, BitDefender detected some fresh exploits of Adobe PDF such as Trojan.Spy.Goldun.NEP, Trojan.Spammer.Tedroo.BA and Backdoor.Posionivy.GK.

Security experts at BitDefender state that from starting 2009, they have noticed two significant trends on the Web. One malware distributed through the Web continues to be the most effective e-threat and two, the earlier productive strains have returned, accounting for the same or higher rates of infection.

Meanwhile, computer users are recommended that they deploy all security patches and also make their security solutions up-to-date to ward off the mentioned Trojans.

Related article: BitDefender Releases March Malware List

» SPAMfighter News - 3/16/2009