Websense Unearthed E-mail Attack on Skype Users

According to the warning issued by the security firm Websense, malicious software, coming with an e-mail, asserts to be a Skype Email Toolbar download.

The new wave of e-mail attacks is discovered by ThreatSeeker Network of Websense. According to the security research manager of Websense, Carl Leonard, at Security Labs, the spam volume is not much, but it will swell, as reported by SCMagazine on March 25, 2010.

According to the reports, the e-mail imitates the look of the genuine application, which can very easily prove to the users that it is an authentic Skype application.

A file attachment titled SkypeToolbarForOutlook.zip is embedded in the spam e-mail message. This attachment which can effortlessly con users is actually a backdoor Trojan with a significantly low anti-virus detection. If the attached file is opened by the unwary user, the Trojan will infect his/her system, which will become vulnerable to risks.

Experts said that positioning as counterfeit Skype toolbars, these malware are leading naïve users to a fraudulent login page of Facebook.

According to Chris Boyd, malware researcher at Sunbelt Software, so far, two toolbars have been spotted, which, at the first sight seems to be normal. They have a compilation of links to a range of sites and various other features which are general to this kind of program, as reported by SCMagazine on March 25, 2010.

When inspected closely, it was revealed that these two toolbars are actually a device used for stealing login credentials. The user is redirected to a phishing page which looks like Facebook, in case he clicks onto the "Facebook" button placed in the left corner at top of the page.

Also, as claimed, there is a considerably low AV detection for this malware. This threat can be only be detected by 6 of the 42 antivirus engines, according to Virustotal. Even though the anti-virus software is updated, it can skip the threat, enabling it to penetrate the system.

Hence, the experts remarked that users must always remember that spam e-mails which they receive in their inbox, are actually hackers' access to the system. Hence, they must be extra careful while opening any sort of attachments, despite the message or the sender itself. Just a single click of the mouse which can compromise the entire personal data saved on their system.

Related article: Websense Discovered Malicious Social Networking Spam Campaign

» SPAMfighter News - 4/5/2010