Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity
    • IT Management
    • Mobile

    Firesheep, Botnets, Adobe Lead Security News

    Written by

    Brian Prince
    Published October 31, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      WiFi hacking, botnets and zero-days led the news this past week in security.

      The release of the Firesheep extension for Firefox put the spotlight on protecting Internet users. The tool, which was released at the ToorCon 12 conference, allows attackers to hijack the sessions of social network users on open wireless networks. Firesheep set off a bit of a firestorm, and prompted another developer to release a tool known as Idiocy that targets sessions on Twitter and sends a warning to victims that their session has been compromised.

      Firesheep’s appearance also prompted IBM to discuss its concept of “Secure Open Wireless.”

      While attackers may have gotten some new toys in the past week, they also were put on the defensive when Dutch authorities led a takedown of a botnet of PCs infected with the Bredolab Trojan. Bredolab is a Trojan downloader that is used to infect the machines it’s on with other malware. But the effect of the takedown, which culminated in an arrest, did not last long.

      “The key point here is that although a large botnet was taken down by the Dutch National Crime Squad on Monday, in only a matter of days Bredolab is back on our radars as a different strain or variant,” said Paul Wood, MessageLabs Intelligence senior analyst at Symantec Hosted Services. “This demonstrates both the increasing strength and robustness of botnets, in addition to highlighting the scale of the challenge faced by our industry, and the global law enforcement community.”

      Bredolab, Wood noted, is a breed of pay-per-install malware, and attackers can buy Bredolab-infected bots in bulk and install their chosen malware. In an article here, eWEEK found that the bot-for-sale business is going strong, with botnets being rented for distributed denial-of-service attacks for as little as $50 a day.

      Compromising computers of course typically relies on vulnerabilities. Adobe Systems patched several vulnerabilities in Shockwave Player, but was also forced to issue an advisory on a new zero-day in Adobe Flash Player. Adobe also reported that one of the Shockwave bugs, CVE-2010-3653, is being exploited in the wild.

      “This vulnerability (CVE-2010-3654) could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system,” Adobe warned. “There are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild against Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.x. Adobe is not currently aware of attacks targeting Adobe Flash Player.”

      Brian Prince
      Brian Prince

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×