full-disclosure - Skype IM upgrade/repair automated social engineering attack

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Message-Id: <200711011921.40079.dr@kyx.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 19:21:39 -0800
From: Dragos Ruiu <dr@....net>
To: full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk
Cc: abuse@...pe.net
Subject: Skype IM upgrade/repair automated social
	engineering attack

With all the proliferation of phone home for update systems in
even trivial software packages these days, neophyte users 
can easily get confused about legitimate upgrades and imposters. 
So someone is trying to take advantage of this with an 
automated version of an old school social engineering 
attack via Skype spam.

Someone/something/.someone's-botnet on skype last night 
contacted users who reported it to me. The messages were
formatted to resemble Microsoft update messages or an AV scan
with a link to click to update and/or repair malware in a number 
of Microsoft products. None of the users who reported it to me 
clicked on the link so it's not clear what the installed malware 
was after.

A series of users with the name "Scan Alert" followed by the registered
trade mark sign originating from a numeric range of skype userids 
following the form:
        scan.alert.o<number>

...have been sending these unsolicited messages. These id's seem
to be registered in the US. Please warn your users to ignore and be 
wary of social engineering attacks purporting to be upgrades or AV
via IM, because without doubt the persons behind this will try other 
variants.

A little bit of googling indicates these spammers have been active for
at least two weeks.

cheers,
--dr

-- 
World Security Pros. Cutting Edge Training, Tools, and Techniques
Tokyo, Japan   November 29/30 - 2007    http://pacsec.jp
pgpkey http://dragos.com/ kyxpgp

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