Bitdefender Warns of New Hybrid Malware
2012.01.25 11:13 by Daniela
Keywords: Frankenmalware
Computer users may have to watch out against a new breed of malware: those of the Frankenstein variety, Bitdefender warned. BitDefender has taken part in an analysis of 10 million infected files that saw it discovering some 40,000 "Frankenmalware" samples. With this representing around 0.4 per cent of checked malware, Bitdefender extrapolates it to mean that there are likely around 260,000 hybrid examples in the wild. "A virus infects executable files; and a worm is an executable file," explains Loredana Botezatu, the BitDefender analyst who carried out the study. "If the virus reaches a PC already compromised by a worm, the virus will infect the exe files on that PC - including the worm. When the worm spreads, it will carry the virus with it. Although this happens unintentionally, the combined features from both pieces of malware will inflict a lot more damage than the creators of either piece of malware intended." "If you get one of these hybrids on your system, you could be facing financial troubles, computer problems, identity theft, and a wave of spam thrown in as a random bonus," said Loredana Botezatu. "The advent of malware sandwiches throws a new twist into the world of malware. They spread more efficiently, and will become increasingly difficult to predict." Read more -here-
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