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Malware Publishes Embarrassing Details of Victims Over the Net

Computers are being infected by a new piece of malware that uses file-share websites and then publishes net history of the user on a public site. The malware demands a fee to remove it, as per the news published by BBC on April 15, 2010.

Users who have unlawfully downloaded the copies of "Hentai" pornographic games via Winni, a file sharing program, are the target of this malware called Kenzero.

The malware, impersonating as a game installation screen, requests for the personal details of a computer owner. Then, it takes screenshots of web history of the user and publishes it on the Internet in their name. Then a pop-up screen or e-mail which demands a 1500 Yen (£10) credit card payment for settling the breach of copyright law as well as for getting rid of the webpage.

The website on which the users' history is published is run by a shell company named Romancing Inc. This website is registered to Shoen Overns, a fictitious person.

Kenzero is being observed by the Internet security firm Trend Micro in Japan. According to Rik Ferguson, security advisor, Trend Micro, the gang involved in this case had been linked with Zeus Trojan and Koobface worm as well, as per the news published by nzherald.co.nz on April 16, 2010.

He also stated that this one is a well-known criminal gang that is continuously engaged in such type of activity, as per the news published by 9News on April 16, 2010.

Ferguson added that Kenzero was an idea that bore resemblance to ransomware. It locks up the users of their own documents and then asks for a payment, to be made by credit cards, for a decryption key. Credit card details of the users, naturally, were further sold to other cyber assailants.

According to Yomiuri, a Japanese newspaper, around 5500 people have already accepted of being infected by Kenzero. Experts alarmed users to overlook requests for fee about copyright lawsuits.

Mr. Ferguson suggested that in case someone is getting pop-ups that demand payments so as to resolve copyright infringement lawsuits, it's advisable to completely disregard them. Also, a free online anti-malware scanner must be immediately used to confirm for malware, as per the news published by BBC on April 15, 2010.

Related article: Malware Authors Turn More Insidious

» SPAMfighter News - 4/28/2010

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