Researchers uncover Trojan contaminating Firefox and Internet Explorer

According to investigators from BitDefender the security company, Web-browsers Internet Explorer of Microsoft and Firefox of Mozilla can equally become targets of one fresh malware item that's presently maliciously circulating online.

This malware item, a PC-virus self-canvasses that it's one vital plug-in designed to raise Internet Explorer users' browsing experience. However, the plug-in, rather than aid its consumers, works like a spying Trojan, which monitors as well as captures the Internet Explorer users' browsing activities which follows their inadvertent downloading of the Trojan.

The fake plug-in is Trojan.Tracur.C, identifies BitDefender researchers, who also state that it's proliferating through the disguise of an upgrade for Adobe's Flash Player.

The problem sadly doesn't end there. The malicious program, true to say, is a pack of sinister programs, the security company adds.

For, Tracur's abuses aren't confined to disrupting Internet Explorer users; it as well plants a poisoned Firefox add-on known as Trojan.JS.Redirector.KY without user interaction on the computers which run Firefox.

This second Trojan also spies on the websites open inside the Firefox. When an unwary Web-surfer enters any search engine's URL like that of Google, Bing or Yahoo, the search results obtained get injected with a malicious JavaScript, ensuring that the result list's topmost web-link leads onto a malware-laden site.

Subsequently, the process of infection goes on, with victims becoming targets of just any kind of threat.

Importantly, Sophos states that Trojan.Tracur.C impacts Windows operating systems, while it executes of its own so as to exchange messages with a central command-and-control (C&C) server through HTTP. Moreover, by opening different registries, it alters the configurations of Internet Explorer.

The other Trojan, Trojan.JS.Redirector works via executing an SQL insertion assault, which injects JavaScript inside the HTML-based websites the Trojan attacks. The Redirector Trojan can penetrate HTML-based e-mails too that have the script, alternatively malicious Internet sites that divert onto undesired destinations.

Conclusively, security researchers recommend end-users that they can enhance their safety via deploying anti-virus software on their computers while keeping it up-to-date so that the above kinds of nasty malware strikes can be spotted and aborted instantly. Securitynewsdaily.com published this on September 23, 2011.

Related article: Researchers Urge Caution against phishing Scams

» SPAMfighter News - 10/6/2011