Hundreds of thousands of websites appear to have been compromised by a massive cyber attack.
The hi-tech criminals used a well-known attack vector that exploits security loopholes on other sites to insert a link to their website.
Those visiting the criminals' webpage were told that their machines were infected with many different viruses.
Swift action by security researchers has managed to get the sites offering the sham software shut down.
Code control
Security firm Websense has been tracking the attack since it started on 29 March. The initial count of compromised sites was 28,000 sites but this has grown to encompass many times this number as the attack has rolled on.
Websense dubbed it the Lizamoon attack because that was the name of the first domain to which victims were re-directed. The fake software is called the Windows Stability Center.
The re-directions were carried out by what is known as an SQL injection attack. This succeeded because many servers keeping websites running do not filter the text being sent to them by web applications.
Joined: 12 Sep 2008 Posts: 603 Location: Down-Under in South Oz
Posted: Sun 03 Apr 2011, 08:46 Post_subject:
Hi Nooby
That's interesting, because only a day or two ago i saw that Lizamoon domain in my server logs....there've been several attempts over the past few months to inject what i believe is poisonous code into my site, but i don't use PHP or SQL, so the crackpots take their bat and ball and go away....so far _________________ Every time i hear the word, "exercise", i wash my mouth out with chocolate http://www.puppylinuxstuff.meownplanet.net/ Puppy Linux Links
nooby
Joined: 29 Jun 2008 Posts: 9477 Location: SwedenEurope
Posted: Sun 03 Apr 2011, 12:15 Post_subject:
Yes they started the injection attacks some five or more days ago so the automatic programs may still be running and searching for more sites to inject it to and in three days they had reached some 100,000 sites but as I remember the text says that the owner of the big servers DNS? servers. I guess there are some 11 such that is the most important them kind of shut down the sites that the code linked to so hopefully the malicious code will do not harm?
But I know too little. I only wanted to share that they are at it again and last time 2008 Barry did get affected. This time not so AFAIK. _________________
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