Malicious Code Discovered in COSATU Website

The COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions) is warning that its website www.cosatu.org.za has been injected with a piece of malicious code; as a result computers accessing the site could be in danger of infection.

Reportedly, a COSATU affiliate disclosed the problem on Saturday May 23, 2009.

The malicious code that was detected on the trade unions' site consists of two Trojans, two types of spyware programs and a PC virus. The virus also contained Chura.pl, a malicious program that lay inside the server that provides COSATU its Internet requirements.

Search giant Google says that it has come to the conclusion that the infected site might load harmful software on visitors' PCs. Therefore, it flashes a warning, "This site may harm your computer," to anyone who tries to reach www.cosatu.org.za through Google search.

The warning further says that it is important for users to know that malware is frequently planted on their computers without their consent or knowledge when they access these types of infected sites. These websites could contain programs that wipe out data, steal private details like credit or debit card numbers and passwords, or change results on search engines.

In the meantime, COSATU officials said they have carried out an investigation of the issue and are doing everything to get rid of the virus-creating malicious code from the site.

Till then, the security specialists suggested people that they should not try to view the site as long as they find the Google warning. Moreover, they must install updated antivirus software in their computers. The specialists further added, since contaminating authorized websites is cyber criminals' oft-repeated tactic, users need to guard themselves against it.

For users who go online for too long, they must have their own firewall safeguard. The con people often search the Internet for vulnerable computers to hack into and steal personal data, or even take over those systems and make them into 'zombies' for further attacks.

Actually, a firewall would stop malicious connections from taking place that would keep the system as well as data on it protected, the specialists explained.

Related article: Malicious Scripts with Zero-byte Padding can Pass Undetected

» SPAMfighter News - 5/29/2009