7.2.11

The Top Ten Threats, January 2011

1. Win32/Conficker Previous Ranking: 2Percentage Detected: 5.38%

The Win32/Conficker threat is a network worm originally propagated by exploiting a recent vulnerability in the Windows operating system. This vulnerability is present in the RPC sub-system and can be remotely exploited by an attacker without valid user credentials. Depending on the variant, it may also spread via unsecured shared folders and by removable media, making use of the Autorun facility enabled at present by default in Windows (though not in Windows 7).
Win32/Conficker loads a DLL through the svchost process. This threat contacts web servers with pre-computed domain names to download additional malicious components.
Fuller descriptions of Conficker variants are available at http://www.eset.eu/buxus/generate_page.php?page_id=279&lng=en.
While ESET has effective detection for Conficker, it’s important for end users to ensure that their systems are updated with the Microsoft patch, which has been available since the third quarter of 2008, so as to avoid other threats using the same vulnerability. Information on the vulnerability itself is available at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/ms08-067.mspx. While later variants dropped the code for infecting via Autorun, it can’t hurt to disable it: this will reduce the impact of the many threats we detect as INF/Autorun. The Research team in San Diego has blogged extensively on Conficker issues: http://www.eset.com/threat-center/blog/?cat=145
It’s important to note that it’s possible to avoid most Conficker infection risks generically, by practicing “safe hex”: keep up-to-date with system patches, disable Autorun, and don’t use unsecured shared folders. In view of all the publicity Conficker has received and its extensive use of a vulnerability that’s been remediable for so many months, we’d expect Conficker infections to be in decline by now if people were taking these commonsense precautions. While the current ranking looks like a drop in Conficker prevalence, this figure is affected by the changes in naming and statistical measurement mentioned earlier: there’s no indication of a significant drop in Conficker infections covering all variants.

2. INF/Autorun Previous Ranking: 1 Percentage Detected: 5.30%

This detection label is used to describe a variety of malware using the file autorun.inf as a way of compromising a PC. This file contains information on programs meant to run automatically when removable media (often USB flash drives and similar devices) are accessed by a Windows PC user. ESET security software heuristically identifies malware that installs or modifies autorun.inf files as INF/Autorun unless it is identified as a member of a specific malware family.
Removable devices are useful and very popular: of course, malware authors are well aware of this, as INF/Autorun’s frequent return to the number one spot clearly indicates. Here’s why it’s a problem.
The default Autorun setting in Windows will automatically run a program listed in the autorun.inf file when you access many kinds of removable media. There are many types of malware that copy themselves to removable storage devices: while this isn’t always the program’s primary distribution mechanism, malware authors are always ready to build in a little extra “value” by including an additional infection technique.
While using this mechanism can make it easy to spot for a scanner that uses this heuristic, it’s better, as Randy Abrams has suggested in our blog (http://www.eset.com/threat-center/blog/?p=94; http://www.eset.com/threat-center/blog/?p=828) to disable the Autorun function by default, rather than to rely on antivirus to detect it in every case. You may find Randy’s blog at http://www.eset.com/threat-center/blog/2009/08/25/now-you-can-fix-autorun useful, too.

3.Win32/PSW.OnLineGames Previous Ranking:3 Percentage Detected: 2.17%

This is a family of Trojans used in phishing attacks aimed specifically at game-players: this type of Trojan comes with keylogging and (sometimes) rootkit capabilities which gather information relating to online games and credentials for participating. Characteristically, the information is sent to a remote intruder’s PC.
These Trojans are still found in very high volumes, and game players need to remain alert. While there have always been unpleasant people who will steal another gamer’s credentials just for the heck of it, trading in virtual cash, treasure, avatars and so on is now a major source of illegal income for cybercriminals. It’s also important that participants in MMORPGs (Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games) like Lineage and World of Warcraft, as well as “metaverses” like Second Life, continue to be aware of the range of other threats like griefing ranged against them. The ESET Research team considered gaming malware in detail in the ESET 2008 Year End Global Threat Report, which can be found at http://www.eset.com/threat-center/threat_trends/EsetGlobalThreatReport(Jan2009).pdf

4. Win32/SalityPrevious Ranking: 4 Percentage Detected: 1.82%

Sality is a polymorphic file infector. When run starts a service and create/delete registry keys related with security activities in the system and to ensure the start of malicious process each reboot of operating system.

It modifies EXE and SCR files and disables services and process related to security solutions.
More information relating to a specific signature:
http://www.eset.eu/encyclopaedia/sality_nar_virus__sality_aa_sality_am_sality_ah

5. INF/Conficker Previous Ranking: 5 Percentage Detected: 1.39%

INF/Conficker is related to the INF/Autorun detection: the detection label is applied to a version of the file autorun.inf used to spread later variants of the Conficker worm.
As far as the end user is concerned, this malware provides one more good reason for disabling the Autorun facility: see the section on INF/Autorun above.

6. Win32/Bflient.KPrevious Ranking: 8 Percentage Detected: 1.19%

Win32/Bflient.K is a worm that spreads via removable media and contains a backdoor. It can be controlled remotely and ensures it is started each time infected media is inserted into the computer.

7. Win32/Tifaut.CPrevious Ranking: 6 Percentage Detected: 1.09%

The Tifaut malware is based on the Autoit scripting language. This malware spreads between computers by copying itself to removable storage devices and by creating an Autorun.inf file to start automatically.
The autorun.inf file is generated with junk comments to make it harder to identify by security solutions. This malware was created to steal information from infected computers.
See INF/Autorun above for discussion of the implications of software that spreads using Autorun.inf as a vector.

8. HTML/ScrInject.BPrevious Ranking: 7 Percentage Detected: 0.84%

Generic detection of HTML web pages containing script obfuscated or iframe tags that that automatically redirect to the malware download.
Malicious scripts and malicious iframes are a major cause of infection, and it’s a good idea to disable scripting by default where possible, not only in browsers but in PDF readers. NoScript is a useful open source extension for Firefox that allows selective disabling/enabling of Javascript and other potential attack vectors.

9. Win32/Spy.Ursnif.APrevious Ranking: 9 Percentage Detected: 0.83%

This label describes a spyware application that steals information from an infected PC and sends it to a remote location, creating a hidden user account in order to allow communication over Remote Desktop connections. More information about this malware is available at http://www.eset.eu/encyclopaedia/win32-spy-ursnif-a-trojan-win32-inject-kzl-spy-ursnif-gen-h-patch-zgm?lng=en

10. Java/TrojanDownloader.Agent.NCAPrevious Ranking: 7 Percentage Detected: 0.76%

Java/TrojanDownloader.Agent.NCA is a trojan which tries to download other malware from the Internet. It is written in Java and may be invoked when visiting a malicious website by referencing a malicious Java class file within a Java archive file (.JAR).
When the malicious .JAR archive is processed, the Java class component gets the URL of the file to download from the malicious website.

FRANK SPELEERS, NIEUWE SENIOR CONSULTANT DOCUMENT & CONTENT MANAGEMENT BIJ RECOMATICS

Gentbrugge, 3 februari 2010 – Recomatics, de Gentse systeemintegrator gespecialiseerd in toepassingen voor het automatisch verwerken, elektronisch archiveren en beheren van documenten, heeft Frank Speleers (45) in dienst genomen als Senior Consultant Document & Content Management.

In deze functie zal Frank Speleers in de eerste plaats verantwoordelijk zijn voor het begeleiden van projecten die gebruik maken van Microsoft SharePoint. Verder zal hij ook de klanten van RecoMatics een nog betere ondersteuning en oplossingen bieden bij hun andere projecten.

Frank Speleers, Master in Toegepaste Informatica, kan bogen op heel wat ervaring in de sector. Voorheen was hij actief als senior project manager bij SD Worx en tussen 1986 en 2009 was hij werkzaam bij Securex, waar hij projecten realiseerde voor zowat alle juridische entiteiten van de groep: sociaal secretariaat, kas arbeidsongevallen, commerciële dienst, ziekenfonds, enz.

‘’ Door de talloze projecten die ik bij mijn vorige werkgevers heb kunnen uitvoeren, leerde ik de producten van Recomatics kennen en appreciëren. Het domein van het elektronische documentenbeheer interesseert me enorm en voor mij is Recomatics een bijzonder creatief en innovatief bedrijf waar ik mijn kennis in zake projectbeheer en Business Process Innovation goed zal kunnen toepassen’’, aldus Frank Speleers.

Wilfried Geulleaume, algemeen directeur Recomatics, ziet de functie van Frank Spelers als: ‘’Een perfecte aanvulling op onze bestaande dienstverlening in zake SharePoint, die ons aanbod alleen maar completer maakt. We geloven er sterk in dat de jarenlange ervaring van Frank een positieve impuls aan onze activiteiten zal geven. ‘’

Meer weten over Recomatics?
Recomatics N.V., een afzonderlijke entiteit van de groep Dekimo (zelf een spin-off van de Gentse universiteit), is een systeemintegrator gevestigd in Gentbrugge. Door zijn ruime ervaring, met zowel geavanceerde technieken voor karakterherkenning als met workflow en archiveringstoepassingen, is Recomatics op korte tijd uitgegroeid tot één van de belangrijkste spelers op de documentenmarkt. De integratie van hun EasyForm NxG oplossingen met SharePoint van Microsoft is een belangrijke troef.
Recomatics werd eind december 2010 door Microsoft als eerste softwarebedrijf in België gecertificeerd als Gold ISV Partner voor “Software Solutions Competency”.
Het Gentse bedrijf is steeds meer actief in onze buurlanden Frankrijk en Nederland.

De klanten van Recomatics zijn te vinden in alle sectoren van de economie waar documenten – cheques, facturen, bestelbonnen, leveringnota’s, enz. - worden verwerkt. De klanten van RecoMatics zijn zowel banken als transportbedrijven, de openbare sector als distributieketens, enz. Ondermeer bedrijven als Fortis, Dexia, Furness Logistics, CCC-Continental Cargo Carriers, Thomas Cook, Jetair, AXA Bank, Nationale Bank, Katoennatie, Brantano, Accor, Sodexo, Colruyt, Vlerick Management School, enz., maken gebruik van de EasyForm software.
Meer op www.recomatics.com

NESTLÉ UK ETEND SON CONTRAT AVEC CHEP A 2,5 MILLIONS DE MOUVEMENTS DE PALETTES PAR AN

Malines, le 2 février 2011 – CHEP, leader mondial des services de location-gestion de palettes et conteneurs, vient de conclure une extension de son contrat avec Nestlé Cereal Partners au Royaume-Uni. L’extension du contrat porte sur une augmentation de 250.000 palettes par an.

En plus de la croissance organique, ces nouveaux mouvements porteront les activités annuelles de CHEP avec Nestlé au Royaume-Uni à 2,5 millions de mouvements de palettes (ceci comprend les activités avec Nestlé UK, Nestlé Purina Petcare UK et Cereal Partners UK). Les deux entreprises collaborent déjà depuis 30 ans.

Nestlé et CHEP se sont également engagés à accroître leur collaboration après avoir identifié un certain nombre d’initiatives potentielles conjointes à forte valeur ajoutée, y compris une coopération en matière de synergies dans la chaîne d’approvisionnement et de nouveaux essais avec des palettes de présentation.

L’extension du contrat avec Nestlé Cereal Partners, qui est entrée en vigueur le 1er janvier 2011, a suivi un processus d’appel d’offres très concurrentiel. Les raisons qui ont poussé Nestlé à choisir CHEP pour ces activités palettes au Royaume-Uni sont le prix compétitif et les efforts pour éliminer tous les coûts superflus de la chaîne d’approvisionnement.

Christophe Campe, Directeur Général de CHEP Benelux, commente: “Il s’agit d’une excellente nouvelle pour toutes les parties concernées, car elle souligne la collaboration de longue date entre CHEP et Nestlé et l’engagement à continuer de travailler ensemble. Je suis convaincu que la solidité de la relation entre les deux entreprises a été à la base de ce nouveau succès. Je me réjouis pour mon collègue britannique du développement que cette collaboration connaîtra au niveau de l’amélioration de l’efficacité de leurs chaînes d’approvisionnement communes.”

A propos de Nestlé
Nestlé Royaume-Uni et Irlande est une filiale de Nestlé SA, la société la plus importante au niveau mondial en matière de nutrition et de produits pour la santé et le bien-être. Au Royaume-Uni et en Irlande, Nestlé compte près de 7.000 collaborateurs répartis sur 23 sites. La société se compose de Nestlé UK Ltd. (alimentation et boissons, confiseries et Nestlé Nutrition), Nestlé Irlande, Nestlé Purina Petcare, Nestlé Waters, Cereal Partners UK (une joint venture avec General Mills) et Lactalis–Nestlé Chilled Dairy Company Ltd. (une joint venture avec Lactalis). Sur ses 15 sites de production au Royaume-Uni, Nestlé produit quelques-unes des marques les plus populaires du pays, tel que Nescafé, Kit Kat, Carnation, Shredded Wheat, Buxton Water, Ski & Bakers Dog Food. On estime qu’au Royaume-Uni, environ 95% des ménages consomment des produits Nestlé. www.nestle.com