Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Stealth Program Hijacks PCs to Send Porn Ads

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 12:19:01 -0400

Stealth Program Hijacks PCs to Send Porn Ads
Fri Jul 11, 5:30 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Close to 2,000 Windows-based PCs with
high-speed Internet connections have been hijacked by a stealth program
and are being used to send ads for pornography, computer security experts
said on Friday.

It is unknown exactly how the so-called "Trojan"
program is spreading to victim computers
around the world, whose owners most likely
have no idea what is happening, said Richard
M. Smith, a security consultant in Boston.

Security provider Network Associates Inc.
(NYSE:NET - news) rated the trojan a low risk
since it did not appear to be more widespread
and was not harming the victim computers.

Trojan programs are typically spread via e-mail
viruses and can also sneak onto computers
through Web browsers when surfing, he said.

The trojan, dubbed "Migmaf" for "migrant Mafia,"
turns the victim computer into a proxy server
which serves as a sort of middle man between
people clicking on porn e-mail spam or Web
site links, according to Smith.

It allows the victim computer to fetch porn Web
ads from an undisclosed server and pass the
ads on to other computers either through an
e-mail spam or a Web browser.

The victim computer acts as a "front" to the porn Web site, enabling the
porn Web servers to hide their location, Smith said.

The scam also is believed to be responsible for a PayPal scam discovered
last week designed to collect credit card information from people who filled
in a form they received via e-mail purporting to be from Web payment
provider PayPal, Smith said.

Smith said he suspects whoever is responsible for the Migmaf scam may be
in Russia because some e-mail addresses involved in the scheme go back
to Russian servers and there are other Russian language references in
some domain names that are involved.

Broadband Internet users should always use firewalls to block such stealth
activity, he said.

Computers with updated anti-virus software will also be protected, said Lisa
Smith, a product manager for Network Associate's McAfee consumer
division.

In addition, there is software designed to specifically block trojan-type
programs, like BBX Technologies' ImmuneEngine.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030711/tc_nm/tech_porn_backdoor_dc_2

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