SpyEye

SpyEye is a malware program that attacks users running Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera web browsers on the Microsoft Windows operating system.[1] This malware uses keystroke logging and form grabbing to steal user credentials for malicious use.[1][2] SpyEye allows hackers to steal money from online bank accounts and initiate transactions even while valid users are logged into their bank account.[3]

SpyEye is a serious threat to banks and account holders on the basis that SpyEye adjusts the on-line banking account totals such that it visually appears no transactions have been made and no money has been withdrawn. [4]

SpyEye has the ability to insert new fields into a website prompting for user names, passwords, or card numbers allowing hackers to steal money without account holders ever taking notice.[5]

SpyEye emanated from Russia in 2009 and was sold in underground forums for $500+ in which SpyEye advertised features such as keyloggers, auto-fill credit card modules, email backups, config files (encrypted), Zeus killer, http access, Pop3 grabbers and FTP grabbers.[6]

Target users and institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada and India were the largest victims of SpyEye; the United States made up 97% of the institutions that fell victim of this malware.[7]

Authors of SpyEye

It is believed that the creator of Zeus said that he was retiring and had given the source code and rights to sell Zeus to his biggest competitor, the creator of the SpyEye trojan; those same experts warned the retirement was a ruse and expect the developer to return with new tricks.[8][9]

Aleksandr Andreevich Panin, author of SpyEye, was arrested and sentenced to nine years and six months in prison.[10]

Hamza Bendelladj, co-author of SpyEye, was arrested and also sentenced to prison with a combined sentence of 24+ years for both Hamza and Aleksandr; both men were charged for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from banks all around the world.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "SpyEye Targets Opera, Google Chrome Users". Krebs on Security. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Trojan: Win32/Spyeye". www.microsoft.com. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  3. ↑ Kirk, Jeremy. "SpyEye Trojan defeating online banking defenses". Computer World. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Waugh, Rob. "New PC virus doesn't just steal your money - it creates fake online bank statements so you even don't know it's gone". Daily Mail. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Kirk, Jeremy. "SpyEye Malware Borrows Zeus Trick to Mask Fraud". PCWorld. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  6. ↑ Coogan, Peter. "SpyEye Bot versus Zeus Bot". Symantec Official Blog. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Irinco, Bernadette. "Trend Micro Researchers Uncover". Trend Micro. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  8. ↑ Diane Bartz (29 October 2010). "Top hacker "retires"; experts brace for his return". Reuters. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  9. ↑ Internet Identity (6 December 2010). "Growth in Social Networking, Mobile and Infrastructure Attacks Threaten Corporate Security in 2011". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  10. ↑ Krebs, Brian (20 April 2016). "SpyEye Makers Get 24 Years in Prison". Krebs On Security. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  11. ↑ Khandelwal, Swati. "Creators of SpyEye Virus Sentence to 24 Years in Prison". The Hacker News. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
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