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Is Google infected?

Discussion in 'Security and Privacy' started by DugE, 2009/12/20.

  1. 2009/12/20
    DugE

    DugE Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    After seeing so many threads about Google redirection I just have to ask, Is Google infected?

    Not intending to throw fear into anyone, but the assumption is clearly there. I see no other search providers having redirection problems (yet) .

    At the same time I think if Google was indeed infected, word about it would be all over the net. So what is this, an infection solely aimed at Google through many users pc's? Another search provider trying to overthrow Google? Maybe aliens from outer space finally trying to make contact. I know, its a backlash from everyone searching for Regis Philman's homepage on his do it yourself hip replacement.

    Or it could just be a fluke. :)
     
    DugE,
    #1
  2. 2009/12/20
    broni

    broni Moderator Malware Analyst

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    No, Google is not infected.
    Bad guys always have in mind most popular targets.
    That's why, there is more Windows viruses, than Mac viruses, more viruses targeting IE, or Firefox, than Opera, or Safari and so on....

    There may be very different kind of infections causing search engine redirections.
    Some time ago, the most popular one was DNS changer/DNS hijacker.
    Little bit later, bad guys came with some some bad files targeting Firefox - Goored and Yoog, which caused FF redirections.
    For last few months, legit Windows files, like atapi.sys can get infected and it causes redirections in IE and FF...
     
    broni,
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  4. 2009/12/21
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    As broni explained. At least 80% of people use Google to search, so why target anything else?

    That's the same reason you see so many Malware targeting Windows... it's the size that matters ;)
     
    Admin.,
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  5. 2009/12/21
    DugE

    DugE Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Now that makes sense. What doesn't make sense at first glance is why would the bad guys do this to begin with? I assume its what they call "fun ".

    Anyway, thanks for the response.
     
    DugE,
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  6. 2009/12/21
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Criminality is the basic reason behind what the bad guys do. They are criminals. Some are driven by economic purposes and some are just driven by plain old evil intentions.

    The quantity of virus and malware out there create an apparancy that there are a lot of bad folks. But the truth is that only about 2.5% of Internet users are bent on evil doing.
     
    TonyT,
    #5
  7. 2009/12/21
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    That's still 43,349,843 internet users :( - source INTERNET USAGE STATISTICS
     
    PeteC,
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  8. 2009/12/21
    DugE

    DugE Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Always looking for that quick buck. Eventually going to jail for it.






    Now that's scary.
     
    DugE,
    #7
  9. 2009/12/21
    broni

    broni Moderator Malware Analyst

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    I'll bet you, good chunk of malware writers do it for "fun ", for competition purposes, just to say "I can ", "I can write better virus, than you did ".
    You have to realize, that most of them are very young people.
     
    broni,
    #8
  10. 2009/12/21
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Not to what I've seen in the latest reports. 10 years ago that was the trend, but now most malware is being distributed by criminal groups in order to make $$$.
     
    Admin.,
    #9
  11. 2009/12/22
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Young and older alike are doing it. The source code to most all malware is freely available and can be downloaded and modified to create new variants of malware. As well, known Windows holes are documented and the exploitation methods are published at "black hat" security sites.

    In some ways, the young folks engaging in this are similar to the young high school athelete who dreams of pro sports. Often the writer of major troublesome malware is hired by govts or security firms after they have paid their dues to society. But most of the young kids doing this are what used to be known as juvinile delinquents. Were there no computers these same kids would be involved in some other criminal activity.
     
    TonyT,
    #10

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