Ryan Naraine

Virus researchers are raising the alarm over a new offshoot of the Bagle worm that is attempting to hijack computers for use in botnets. The latest attack was launched in a weekend spam run that attempted to trick Windows users into downloading an executable identified as Bagle.BQ or Mitglieder.CN. According to an advisory from F-Secure […]

The University of Connecticut has detected a rootkit on one of its servers, almost two years after the stealth program was placed there by malicious hackers. The rootkit was found on a server that contains names, social security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers and addresses for most of the universitys 72,000 students, staff and […]

Amid conflicting reports on the extent of sniffing activity on TCP/IP Port 445, the port associated with a recently patched Windows vulnerability, security experts are warning that exploit code targeting a known Server Message Block flaw has been posted on the Internet. The exploit code, published on the FrSIRT (French Security Incident Response Team) Web […]

Digital-media delivery company RealNetworks on Thursday rolled out patches for four high-risk vulnerabilities in its flagship RealPlayer software, warning that the flaws put millions of users at risk of PC hijack attacks. The Seattle, Wash.-based RealNetworks Inc. said the flaws can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the […]

Multiple security flaws in Veritas Software Inc.s Backup Exec data storage product could put users at risk of privilege escalation and denial-of-service attacks, the company confirmed Thursday. The Mountain View, Calif., data management specialist said the flaws were flagged—and fixed—in Veritas Backup Exec for Windows and NetWare servers, two enterprise-facing products used to securely back […]

An ominous increase in sniffing activity on TCP Port 445 could signal an impending mass malicious code attack targeting a recently patched Microsoft vulnerability, according to a warning from security researchers. Researchers at Symantec Corp.s DeepSight Network have detected a surge in scans on Port 445, an indication that malicious hackers may have already created […]

Microsoft is sparing no expense to spread the Least-privileged User Account security gospel ahead of next years Longhorn launch, but a little-known fact—especially among IT administrators and end users—is that the technology is already available in the Windows operating system. The LUA principle, also known as non-admin or minimum rights, is accepted within software security […]

Microsofts enterprise anti-virus plans do not extend to customers on Unix and Linux platforms. On the day the software giant completed its purchase of Sybari Software Inc., a deal first announced in February, Microsoft Corp. announced it would immediately discontinue new sales of Sybaris flagship Antigen suite for the Unix and Linux platforms. The move […]

A newly discovered flaw in all the major Web browsers could allow Internet scammers to successfully launch phishing attacks, according to a warning from security research outfit Secunia Inc. The vulnerability, confirmed on fully patched versions of Microsoft Corp.s dominant Internet Explorer browser, can be exploited by malicious hackers to trick surfers into disclosing confidential […]

Convinced that the recent upswing in virus and Trojan attacks is directly linked to the creation of botnets for nefarious purposes, a group of high-profile security researchers is fighting back, vigilante-style. The objective of the group, which operates on closed, invite-only mailing lists, is to pinpoint and ultimately disable the C&C (command-and-control) infrastructure that sends […]

Bruce Schneiers PasswordSafe lockbox, which provides a free utility for users to encrypt and manage multiple passwords on a computer, is ready for a new phase of open-source development. The celebrated cryptographer, who is credited with designing or co-designing several widely used encryption algorithms, announced the release of Version 2.1 of the database utility as […]

Alternative Web browser company Opera Software on Thursday pushed out a new version of its flagship browser to fix several cross-site scripting vulnerabilities discovered by private security researchers. The Norwegian company recommends that Windows users upgrade to Opera 8.0.1 to protect against malicious hacker attacks. In all, the Opera update addresses five different vulnerabilities and […]