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Fortinet’s May 2010 Threatscape Report Shows New PDF Exploit

Internet security firm Fortinet released its May 2010 Threatscape
Report on June 3, 2010 which exhibited that a new PDF exploit was
circulating in high volume via a spam campaign. Didier Stevens wrote
about the vulnerability in his blog for the first time on March 29,
2010 saying that it was called CVE-2010-1240. According to Fortinet, a
malicious document called PDF/Pidief.BV!exploit exploits this
vulnerability.

Fortinet highlights that this exploits follows a completely new vector
of infection.

If the users try to open the PDF file attached to the e-mail, Adobe
Reader presents a dialog box that asks for the recipients' permission
before opening the file. The malware then installs a corrupt Windows 32
executable file on the system which compromises the computers with the
users' permission.

Expressing his views on the exploit, Derek Manky, Project Manager,
Cyber Security and Threat Research, Fortinet said that the difference
between PDF/Pidief.BV and other PDF threats was that it required user
interaction, as reported by itp on June 4, 2010.

In addition, the latest report discloses that botnet activities were
strong in May 2010, with Sasfis and Gumblar appeared in Fortinet's Top
10 malware and Top 10 Attack list.

In May 2010, the firm also witnessed the rising of new botnets, but
some botnets such as Cutwail and Pushdo posed significant threats.
Fortinet first witnessed the botnet CMultiLoader on April 8, 2010. An
important variant of this botnet W32/CMultiLoader.A took the sixth spot
on the security firm's Top 10 malware list of May 2010. However, the
Katusha botnet could not made to the Top 10 list of Fortinet in May
2010 as it acquired the 11th spot. These are examples of newly emerging
botnets making waves.

Apart from the abovementioned findings, the firm states in its monthly
report that the total number of detected malware for the report of May
2010 remained almost consistent since the starting of 2010, but the
distinct detection still rising. It indicates to more variants
circulating on the internet with malware creators continue to morph and
encrypt their malicious binaries.

Related article: Fortinet Pinpoints Ten Biggest Threats

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