G-Data Spots Ares Another Fresh PC Trojan

Security researchers from G-Data a German anti-malware firm have reported that they've identified a fresh PC Trojan named Ares that's probably a successor of Zeus the infamous Trojan, which has been utilized for capturing credentials for thefts of several million pounds.

Apparently, Ares has many characteristics that are similar to those of Zeus, particularly within its modular get-up. Consequently, cyber-criminals may succeed in modifying the malicious program every time they need it.

Remarking about these fascinating discoveries, Eddy Willems Security Evangelist at G-Data stated that the large variety of utilities that were possible with Ares implied that the Trojan posed a great danger to businesses and people in general. Searchsecurity.techtarget.com published this on November 19, 2010.

Significantly, G-Data's preventive alert is attributed to the fact that the creator of Ares has written a free toolkit for software creation for the Trojan. It's thought that so-called "trusted software authors" will use the kit but after paying a license fee to the Ares creators at the time the former sells subsequent software to 3rd-parties.

The remaining interested developers can purchase a starter toolkit for Ares by spending $820, alternatively the entire toolkit for a maximum of $6,000. Payment will be online through an anonymous service, here WebMoney, so that both the buyer as well as the developer needn't disclose their true identities, G-Data outlined.

Meanwhile, the Ares creator stated in a criminal forum that each version of Ares was distinct, and though wasn't intended for capturing banking credentials in particular, it bore identical banking abilities like those of SpyEye and Zeus that could be added, in case needed. ComputerWeekly.com published this on November 19, 2010. The Ares creator added that he, in fact, regarded the Trojan as a platform that suited to every purchaser's choice more than anything else.

Conclusively, the G-Data security researchers expect that following the introduction of the toolkit's sale, Ares will start doing the rounds online in numerous versions. However, in spite of the knowledge of the imminent introduction of the Trojan, nobody really knows the targets it'll choose, the techniques it'll utilize and the person or persons who'll exploit it.

Related article: GIO’s Confidential Information Hacked and disclosed

» SPAMfighter News - 11/29/2010