A software development toolkit for spyware has been advertised for sale on a Russian website for less than $20, according to experts from Sophos.
 |
| Source: Chetart.com |
Sophos lab experts discovered the WebAttacker toolkit on a website frequented by developers of spyware and adware in Russia. WebAttacker is sold directly through the site, promising buyers technical support from… “experts.”
The WebAttacker toolkit includes pre-written scripts that significantly simplify the creation of adware and computer infection mechanisms. Additionally, it provides buyers with a variety of spamming techniques to lure victims to dangerous websites.
Most alarmingly, this malware toolkit contains mechanisms for sending spam emails with hot-button topics, such as avian flu prevention and conspiracy theories surrounding the death of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. This tactic is designed to entice recipients while also evading spam filters.
Spam emails with fake links leading to trending news stories are frequently used by hackers to deceive email users into visiting malicious websites, where malware lies in wait. Once users access these sites, the malware exploits vulnerabilities in their browsers and operating systems to infiltrate their machines.
Notably, this toolkit also includes instructions for creating Trojan programs designed to steal passwords for banking attacks.
“Offering spyware at such low prices online signifies that the threshold for hacking has been lowered… to a beginner level. Now, even the most technologically challenged individuals can enter the world of cybercrime,” warned O’Brian.
This is not the first time a self-created malware toolkit like WebAttacker has been discovered. Earlier this year, experts from Sunbelt Software uncovered a special program used to create keyloggers and Trojans. The targets were users within financial institutions in the UK, US, and Canada.
The Trojan-building tool provides a user-friendly interface to create new malware variants capable of stealing credit card numbers or logging into online banking from victims’ computers, as well as directing e-Gold payments to the attacker’s accounts.
Tian Yi
