Kaspersky discovers new malware
Kaspersky Lab recently announced the discovery of Gauss, a new malware. Gauss is a complex, nation-state sponsored cyber-spying toolkit designed to steal sensitive data, with a specific focus on browser passwords, online banking account credentials, cookies, and specific configurations of infected machines. Gauss has so far targeted users in the Middle-East. The online banking Trojan functionality found in Gauss is a unique characteristic that was not found in any previously known malware. Gauss was discovered during the course of the ongoing effort initiated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), following the discovery of Flame. The effort is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by cyber-weapons, which is a key component in achieving the overall objective of global cyber-peace. Kaspersky Lab discovered Gauss in June 2012 by identifying the similarities it share with Flame(malware found in May 2012). These include similar architectural platforms, module structures, code bases and means of communication with command & control (C&C) servers. Kaspersky Lab's analysis found that Gauss began operations in the September 2011 timeframe. The Gauss C&C infrastructure was shutdown in July 2012 shortly after its discovery. Currently the malware is in inactive state, waiting for its C&C servers to become active. Kaspersky Lab's cloud-based security system also recorded over 2,500 infections since late May 2012. Kaspersky said the estimated total number of victims of Gauss could be in tens of thousands. This number is lower compared to the case of Stuxnet (malware discovered in June 2010) but it's significantly higher than the number of attacks in Flame and Duqu (malware found in September 2011). Analysis of Gauss shows it was designed to steal data from several Lebanese banks including the Bank of Beirut, EBLF, BlomBank, ByblosBank, FransaBank and Credit Libanais. It also targets users of Citibank and PayPal. Multiple modules of Gauss collect information from browsers, which include the history of visited websites and passwords. It also sends back detailed data on the infected machine to the attackers, including specifics of network interfaces, the computer's drives and BIOS information. Gauss can also infect USB thumb drives, using the same LNK vulnerability that was previously used in Stuxnet and Flame. Its process of infecting USB sticks is more intelligent. Gauss is capable of "disinfecting" the drive under certain circumstances, and uses the removable media to store collected information in a hidden file. Gauss also installs a special font- Palida Narrow. The purpose of this action is still unknown. While Gauss is similar to Flame in design, the geography of infections is noticeably different. The highest number of computers hit by Flame was recorded in Iran, while the majority of Gauss victims were located in Lebanon. The number of infections is also different. Based on telemetry reported from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN), Gauss infected approximately 2,500 machines while Flame infected close to 700 machines. Although Gauss' exact method of infecting the computers is yet to be known, it is clear that Gauss spreads in a different manner than Flame or Duqu. And Gauss' spreading mechanisms are conducted in a controlled fashion, which emphasise stealth and secrecy for the operation. Creators of Gauss' main module named it after the German mathematician Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss. Other components bear the names of famous mathematicians as well, including Joseph-Louis Lagrange and Kurt Gödel. At the moment Gauss is remedied by Kaspersky, classified as Trojan-Spy.Win32.Gauss.
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