Gangster's ATM: New 'Trojan horse' opens your bank account to crooks
Call it an ATM for cyber-crooks -- and the cash could come out of your account.
Web security sleuths have found a new type of "Trojan horse" that steals your bank log-in name and password, then proceeds to drain money from your account -- while you're logged in.
The new Trojan, called URLZone, features a number of innovations not widely seen in Internet crime. For example, the Trojan can estimate precisely how much money to steal based on how much dough you have in your account, and can even siphon money in small increments to evade detection.
"It's a next generation bank Trojan," Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at Finjan, a cyber-security firm, told CNET News.com. "This is part of a new trend of more sophisticated Trojans designed to evade antifraud systems."
A Trojan horse is a type of malware -- or malevolent software -- that allows criminals unauthorized access to the user's computer system. Details of URLZone appear in a new report by Finjan's Malicious Code Research Center.
URLZone takes advantage of vulnerabilities in web browsers, including Firefox and Internet Explorer, then executes a program on Windows systems -- which means if you're running a Mac, you're safe. For now.
"As we covered in previous reports, cybercrime pays," Finjan researchers wrote in the report. "Financial data remain the prime target. Cybergangs and their methods keep on refining their attacks to generate as much income as possible, while avoiding detection."
During 22 days in mid-August, the cyber-crooks operating URLZone stole nearly $438,000, according to the security company. The bad guys infected about 6,400 computer users, according to PC World, and stole an average of $1,750 per day.
The criminals were able to infect about 7.5 percent of the 90,000 computers they attacked before Finjan managed to infiltrate the hackers' command-and-control server located in Ukraine, according to PC World. Once your computer becomes infected, URLZone steals your bank account info before contacting the command server, which then instructs your own computer how much money to wire, in what increments, and where to send the stolen virtual stacks.
Ominously, URLZone is even more sophisticated than its predecessor Trojans, which already have the ability to take over your computer, steal your personal data, and even remotely command your computer to help the hackers steal.
URLZone allows internet thieves to evade common bank fraud detection systems. For example, the bad guys can ensure your balance never falls below zero, as well as make a series of small withdrawals in an effort to evade detection. They can also make phony data appear on your account home page.
"Basically they say, 'I will steal from you €5,000, but I want to make sure at least 5 percent will remain in your balance,'" Ben-Itzhak told PC World.
"Online bank users should be alert, and make sure that their web security is updated," Finjan concluded in its report, which is well worth reading. "For banks and financial institutions, their best defense is a unified web security solution with real-time content inspection."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
9-30-2009 @ 12:51PM
mickey said...
This is the world you wanted.
Reply
10-01-2009 @ 11:08AM
TwistedTwilight said...
What the hell are you talking about? Thieves have been around since society started to evolve. New age just means new targets and methods. Your a bloody looney.
9-30-2009 @ 6:58PM
Clint said...
A conspiracy theory...... Why is is that these malicious programs only infect p.c.s??? Could Apple be a sponsor of cyber terrorism?? Just a thought..
10-07-2009 @ 11:58PM
philipsmudger said...
Koneer your a cock i see you posting your dodgy s##t all over the blogs go get what you deserve and stick your face in a blender moron
9-30-2009 @ 1:33PM
richard said...
Crooks that steal your money, sort of sounds like what the IRS has been doing for years.
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 2:12PM
Paula said...
Can you imagine if the people that wrote these programs were to put their knowledge towards good instead of bad? The human character is so very flawed.
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 5:19PM
Bret said...
I hear you. The thing is they were probably loyal to a big company or two and the big company screwed them over a few dozen times. Now there's thousands of scorned programmers and developers out there.
10-01-2009 @ 8:18AM
Christina said...
I hear that! I don't understand why these programmers and developers feel the need to screw the rest of us out of money. It's just plain mean, especially at times like these when there are people who are really having to work hard to save almost every dime they make. This kind of thing makes me so mad.
9-30-2009 @ 2:31PM
mary said...
No they steal from the bank.. If you did'n't sign to release it and someone breaks into the account illigally you not liable no matter what BS the banks try to peddle.
Reply
10-01-2009 @ 3:17AM
goldfinger said...
mary i dont think u follow this story right...their talking about cyber stealing where some jerk can steal ur money and ur identity just by a click of a button and the bank not responsible because the bank dont know who is the REAL mary...if all the security questions and codes come up correct...thats why i think we should get married and have 8 kids because i keep ALL my 20 dollar under the mattress,we wont have to worry about getting robbed
9-30-2009 @ 2:56PM
Bob said...
Actually, banks and financial institutions DO hire former crooks, ex-cons, and cyber-thieves to try and keep one step ahead of these robbers........
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 3:34PM
LaharlD2 said...
Don't be shocked if some of the money they steal is stolen from another thief lol
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 3:35PM
me too said...
For Mary..had this happen to me about 2 months ago..my bank is of course, BOA..they told me too dang bad and I had to eat an unauthorized withdrawl of nearly 820 bucks cause the bank said I did it even though I proved to them I didn't do it...so no matter what you think..stealing is stealing and you will NEVER get your money back from crooks who run the banks.
Reply
9-30-2009 @ 10:07PM
Taz said...
I used to be a BofA customer and left for the same reason. I had an unauthorized withdrawl that sent me into overdraft. They told me the withdrawl wasnt their fault (nor was it mine), and so the fees were not their responsibility so they wouldnt refund them. I complained about it, and they decided to give me back 2 of 3 fees and told me to go after the other party for the other fee. They would not give me anything in writing that said that I would need to go after the 3rd party involved..so Im out that money too.
10-01-2009 @ 4:49PM
Sally in Southern Arizona said...
The same thing happened to me though it was less money. Proof or not, BOA will not take responisiblity for someone else getting into your account.
10-01-2009 @ 7:11PM
rod said...
the bank of am is the worst bank iv ever banked with! they charge for every thing! they let illeagles send up to 3000.00 a month free no charge to mex. and charge me 3.00 for atm.thay are NOT MY BANK any more.
10-01-2009 @ 7:23PM
Richard said...
Join a credit union.
I had BOA and couldn't get a REPLY on my loan application for 2 weeks. Went across the parking lot to the credit union and had my bike in 2 days.
9-30-2009 @ 4:10PM
Donovan said...
Its the banks job to protect your money. The banks should shut down all automated/computer generated EFT withdraw services. In order to further protect their clients banks accounts from being hacked. Until such time this Trojan is stopped.
Reply
10-01-2009 @ 7:27PM
amanda said...
i agree with u completely. that is an outstanding idea
10-04-2009 @ 9:51PM
Luis E. Hernandez said...
I think that the banks know whats going on or they are the ones doing it.