USB Keys Distributed at AusCERT Contained Malware

IBM has e-mailed all the delegates who attended the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT) 2010 conference in Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia) on May 21, 2010 requesting to return USB sticks that it distributed as complimentary gifts.

Glenn Wightwick, chief technologist, IBM Australia, said in his e-mail that some of the complimentary USB sticks that conference attendees might have received from the IBM booth have been found to contain malware, as per the news published by itnews.com.au on May 21, 2010.

He said that all USB keys are suspected to be affected with the malware. The malware, dated to 2008, was diagnosed by majority of anti-virus products, he added.

According to Wightwick, the malware, contained in autorun.ini and setup.exe files, is known by several names. It is known to spread via infected USB device, when it is inserted into a MS Windows server or workstation whereby autorun.ini and setup.exe files execute automatically.

Graham Cluley, Senior Technology Consultant with security firm Sophos, said that having analyzed the suspected USB sticks, analysts at SophosLabs can confirm that those sticks are actually infected, reported sophos.com on May 21, 2010. He urged to be cautious while plugging in the device into the PC.

As per Cluley, Sophos detects the malware infecting the setup file as W32/LibHack-A. A Windows worm W32/Agent-FWF is the other piece of malware which is proficient in logging keystrokes.

As more and more malware spreading through USB sticks are being discovered, organizations are looking to restrict access to USB ports, Cluley added. This not only stops autorun malware but can also stop leakage of sensitive information.

Reacting on the entire issue, Tom Piotrowski, Managing Director of IT security firm Unixpac and an AusCERT attendee, said that he was just speechless on the entire incident, as per the news published by smh.com.au on May 21, 2010. Such an incident occurred when delegates from around the world had gathered there to know about the latest developments in security technology, which is a big embarrassment for IBM, he said.

Related article: UCSF Server Holding Personal Information Encounters Hack

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