New malware targets Firefox users

 

Gallery

Posted on 4 Dec 2008 at 10:41

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is frequently the victim of targeted malware attacks, but threats designed to take advantage of Mozilla's Firefox browser are far less common.

The threat, known as Trojan.PWS.ChromeInject.A, was detected in the wild by anti-virus firm BitDefender. It can affect Firefox 2 and 3 and includes files that are named similarly to legitimate Firefox extensions. Because it's partially dependant on a .dll file, this trojan will only affect Windows versions of Firefox.

Malicious files are placed inside Firefox's plugin and chrome directories, from where they are triggered every time Firefox is launched. Once available, the program monitors your browsing activities until you visit one of several online banking websites, including Barclays, Abbey National, and NatWest.

Bitdefender has released a full list of the targeted websites. When one of the banks' sites is visited, the application activates a keylogger to capture your login details and send them back to an address located in Russia.

Viorel Canja, the head of the BitDefender Lab, told Shopper that the program is spread by "drive-by" downloaders, which exploit browser security flaws to silently download and install malicious software when you visit a compromised website. The malware has not appeared in an email-transmitted form.

The last well-known Firefox-specific malware was the password-stealing FormSpy trojan, which first appeared in 2006 and disguised itself as a beneficial Firefox extension.

Firefox itself can't be patched against malware of this sort without disabling its plugin and extension system. Fortunately Trojan.PWS.ChromeInject.A is rare, but the key to protecting yourself from any malicious software is by installing anti-virus software.

For free protection, we recommend AVG Free and Spybot Search & Destroy, but a full security package can offer greater production. Look out for Shopper 252, which includes our group test of the top security suites.

Author: Kat Orphanides