July 5, 2010 by Admin
Recent attacks on Windows XP’s help system are showing that there is a bug within the software which is making it vulnerable to hacking. So far, 10,000 machines have been penetrated by malicious attack, and Microsoft have admitted that they are yet to develop a fix for the flaw in the software.
During an attack, users see control of their PC being handed over to cyber criminals. The loophole, which was discovered in June, has seen attempts to hack become successful as the attackers have developed malware more quickly than anticipated. The attacks take advantage of XP’s remote aid facility, which is there to enable Microsoft technicians to get access to machines in order to provide remote support for users.
Hi-tech criminals have pounced on the loophole with gusto, and are making the most of the flawed system to obtain access to people’s machines. Once they gain access, they quickly download spam tools, viruses and Trojans to affected PCs. People who do not regularly use anti-virus software to protect their machines are defenseless against the attacks, leaving their personal and business machines completely vulnerable.
An investigation by Microsoft has revealed that a number of different attackers are now benefiting from the flawed software. Users in Portugal are currently being targeted the most by hackers exploiting the loophole, with additional victims in Croatia and Russia.
The most effective way of protecting a PC which uses the software and could be vulnerable is to disable the Help and Support system which is acting as a gateway to hackers. Microsoft have issued a tool which will undertake to disable the system automatically, until such time as a fix can be circulated to prevent the attacks.
A senior researcher at Trend Micro advises: “It’s certainly very serious and is now being actively exploited by what appears to be several different groups as you can see from the multiple payloads being delivered. It is important to ensure that your security software is capable of identifying and blocking malicious websites, as you can be sure that the criminals behind this will be constantly updating their malicious files to try and avoid traditional security.”
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