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Name Game
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Microsoft Disrupts the Emerging Nitol Botnet ...

Being Spread through an Unsecure Supply Chain

Earlier this week, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit permission to disrupt more than 500 different strains of malware with the potential for targeting millions of innocent people. Codenamed “Operation b70,” this legal action and technical disruption proceeded from a Microsoft study which found that cybercriminals infiltrate unsecure supply chains to introduce counterfeit software embedded with malware for the purpose of secretly infecting people’s computers. In disrupting these malware strains, we helped significantly limit the spread of the developing Nitol botnet, our second botnet disruption in the last six months.

»blogs.technet.com/b/micr ··· ain.aspx

»twitter.com/mikko/status ··· /photo/1
Name Game

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Microsoft Finds Malware On New Computers In China

»www.npr.org/templates/st ··· 61047600

StuartMW
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join:2000-08-06

StuartMW

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said by Name Game:

Microsoft Finds Malware On New Computers In China

Hardly surprising because
quote:
The shopper in this case was part of a team of Microsoft researchers in China investigating the sale of counterfeit software.

Piracy/counterfeiting is a way of life in China (and not just software). Its a large problem that manufacturers don't want to (publicly) talk about. I've seen it firsthand.

KodiacZiller
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So basically this botnet started because people in China were buying counterfeit Windows with malicious software prepackaged? I thought Asian people were supposed to be smart.

Oh well, even with legit Windows they would have had trojans after a few minutes of web browsing, so I guess it made no difference.
dave
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not in ohio

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What would be useful would be to publish a comprehensive list of the vendors (both PC vendors and parts makers) who had shipped compromised components.

This would serve two purposes:

1. Alert people who may have innocently purchased crap

2. Penalize companies with lax security who sold crap

siljaline
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join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC

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Pre-Installed Malware Straight Out The Box
quote:
Ingenious hackers have opened up a new frontline in their battle against software companies, audaciously infecting a number of computers with malware at a time and place when they should be at their most secure – on the factory production line.

The startling discovery comes from a new Microsoft study, PDF which revealed that a number of PCs were found to be carrying malware that was believed to have been installed before they even left the factory.
CBC Canada reports
quote:
Computers being infected with viruses, counterfeit software before they arrive at stores, lawsuit documents say.

A customer in Shenzhen, China, took a new laptop out of its box and booted it up for the first time. But as the screen lit up, the computer began taking on a life of its own. The machine, triggered by a virus hidden in its hard drive, began searching across the internet for another computer.

The shopper in this case was part of a team of Microsoft researchers in China investigating the sale of counterfeit software. They received a sudden introduction to malware called Nitol.
siljaline

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GreenWhite
join:2004-11-09
Malaysia

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They are a lot smarter. They got Windows for free, use like we do which we have to pay. And they don't care about trojans and viruses. I bet most if not all, use it casually for im, e-mails and skype.

They don't spend in front of the computer like for most of the day or for work.

Viruses ? So what ? Opps my pc is starting to slow down. Alright, let's reformat. No problemo.

Those who are aware of security, are even smarter. They use Windows free (100% clean) and make it legit.

siljaline
I'm lovin' that double wide
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Montreal, QC

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Microsoft Reaches Settlement with Defendants in Nitol Case
quote:
Two weeks ago, I wrote about how a Microsoft study looking into unsecure supply chains led to the discovery of the emerging Nitol botnet, which was hosted by the 3322.org domain. In order to address this threat, Microsoft filed suit to take control of the 70,000 malicious subdomains hosted on 3322.org.
Article

Microsoft Hands Off Nitol Botnet Sinkhole Operation To Chinese CERT