malware news stories on Newser

Syria Uses Skype Malware to Spy on Activists: Tech Firm

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:54:00 CDT

The Syrian government is hacking into the computers of activists and secretly surveilling them by spreading malicious software through Skype, reports TechWeek Europe . Recently, an activist thought she was Skype-chatting with an ally, but she suddenly realized her friend was in jail and could not possibly be online. She received...

Latest Threat to Hit Macs: 'Sabpab' Trojan

Rob Quinn — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:25:34 CDT

With popularity comes some nasty bugs for the unwary: A Trojan known as "Sabpab" is the latest piece of malware infesting Macs, according to security firm Sophos. The malware is spreading through a weakness in Java and through an infected Word document purporting to be a statement from the Dalai...

Hackers' Favorite New Target: Android

Rob Quinn — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:30:00 CST

Cyber criminals have spent years figuring out how mobile systems like Android work, and now they're cashing in, security experts warn. Android, now the most popular smartphone operating system, has seen malware surge along with its popularity. Malware targeting the Google-created system grew a massive 3,325% in the last...

Fake iTunes Offer Hides Malware

Rob Quinn — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:14:55 CST

An iTunes gift voucher scam is doing the rounds just in time for Black Friday. Users receive an email saying they have been awarded $50 of iTunes credit which they can access by using a security code in an attached file, the BBC reports. The file actually contains malware which...

Apple Boots Developer Who Exposed Security Hole

Rob Quinn — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:42:00 CST

Security guru Charlie Miller found himself kicked out of Apple's developer program just hours after he announced that he had found a major security flaw. Miller discovered a hole that allows iPhone and iPad applications to grab potentially malicious code from third-party servers even after they have been approved and...

'Son of Stuxnet' Worm Found in Europe

Rob Quinn — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:44:10 CDT

A new computer virus found in Europe and the Middle East bears a strong resemblance to the Stuxnet worm that attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, security experts say, but the Duqu malware's target is still unclear. Security firm Symantec says Duqu appears to be designed to gather information on industrial control...

US Drones Infected With Virus

Kevin Spak — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:19:25 CDT

America’s robot assassins have all been infected with a “keylogger” virus that tracks every move their pilots make, sources tell Wired . The military isn’t sure how the computers at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada—the nerve center that controls most drone missions—got infected, or who they might be...

Stuxnet Prober: We're Asleep to Deadly Potential

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:47:59 CDT

The man behind the discovery of the vicious Stuxnet malware that targeted the Iranian nuclear power system warns that we remain "asleep" at the switch when it comes to protecting ourselves against the growing danger from the cyberweapon. The computer establishment has "failed to address the threat of copycat attacks,...

Google Warning Virus Victims

Rob Quinn — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 04:33:00 CDT

Google has gone on the offensive, warning users against malware that hijacks searches. Internet surfers hit with the virus find a yellow warning at the top of their Google search results telling them that their computer appears to be infected, the BBC reports. They're then directed to fake anti-virus software...