May 2008
BitDefender Lab▓s Top 10 Malware List for April Dominated by Malware Packers
BUCHAREST, Romania √ May 9, 2008 √ BitDefender╝, a global provider of award-winning antivirus software and data security solutions, announced today that malware packers have gained even more popularity in the month of April, as three of the positions on BitDefender▓s April 2008 Top Ten Malware list are occupied with malware packed by such software. According to BitDefender Labs, the three are all packed with the same type of packer (NSAnti) which has caused problems in previous months.
"It seems repacking malware to attempt avoiding detection, rather than spending time and energy writing new viruses from scratch is a technique that's here to stay," said Sorin Dudea, Head of BitDefender AV Research.
Straightforward packers aren't the only tools used for this purpose. The fourth position on the list is a sophisticated malware loader, dubbed by BitDefender researchers as ⌠Loader.N.■ Loader.N runs decrypts and enables two other packed pieces of malware (a Trojan, Kobcka and a Trojan, Downloader.Agent) which transforms the infected machine into a spam relay.
"The loader serves two purposes: the encryption prevents antivirus software from detecting the payload in transit, while the unpacking and loading part ensures that at no point does the payload get written to disk √ eliminating another inception point," Dudea explained. "Of course, the exercise is pointless, as we can still detect the decryptor itself."
The rest of the top ten is, yet again, pretty well-populated with mass mailer viruses, with the Cutwail Trojan, another tool turning machines into spam bots, appearing in the 6th position.
BitDefender▓s April 2008 Top 10 malware list includes:
1. Packer.Malware.NSAnti.AD 33.71%
2. Win32.Netsky.P@mm 7.48%
3. Win32.Worm.Sohanad.NAW 4.56%
4. Packer.Malware.NSAnti.AG 2.86%
5. Trojan.Loader.N 2.25%
6. Trojan.Dropper.Cutwail.F 2.04%
7. Win32.Netsky.AA@mm 1.98%
8. Win32.NetSky.D@mm 1.98%
9. Packer.Malware.NSAnti.Z 1.87%
10. Win32.Nyxem.E@mm 1.65%
11. OTHERS 39.62%
About Bitdefender®
Bitdefender is the creator of one of the world's fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified internet security software.Since 2001, the company has been an industry pioneer, introducing and developing award-winning protection. Today, Bitdefender technology secures the digital experience of around 400 million home and corporate users across the globe.
Recently, the company has won a range of key independent recommendations in the US, UK and across Europe, including ConsumerSearch, Which?, Stiftung Warentest and Taenk. Bitdefender antivirus technology has also finished top in leading industry tests from both AV Test and AV-Comparatives. More information about Bitdefender's antivirus products is available from the company's security solutions press room. Additionally, Bitdefender publishes Malware City providing the latest updates on security threats and helping users stay informed in the everyday battle against malware.