Massive search fraud botnet seized by Microsoft and Symantec

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selected>Standard</option> <option value="large">Large</option> </select> <label class="font-impact hidden w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100 md:block" for="text-settings-width">Width <span class="text-gray-400">*</span> </label> <select name="text-settings-width" class="text-settings-width col-span-2 hidden bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300 md:block"> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="wide">Wide</option> </select> <label class="font-impact w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" for="text-settings-links">Links</label> <select name="text-settings-links" class="text-settings-links col-span-2 bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300"> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="orange">Orange</option> </select> <div class="font-impact col-span-3 hidden text-sm font-semibold uppercase text-gray-400 md:block"> <span class="mb-0 italic">* Subscribers only</span><br>   <a href="/store/product/subscriptions/" class="text-green-400">Learn more</a> </div> <button class="font-impact text-settings-position col-span-3 mx-auto my-3 block rounded-sm border-2 border-green-400 px-3 py-1 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" value="story"> Pin to story </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div x-data="{ open: false, toggle() { if (this.open) { return this.close() } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'true'; } this.open = true }, close() { if (!this.open) { return; } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'false'; } this.open = false } }" @keydown.escape.prevent.stop="close($refs.button)" @focusin.window="! $refs.panel.contains($event.target) && close()" x-id="['dropdown-button']">  <button type="button" x-ref="button" x-on:click=" toggle(); $dispatch('dropdown-opened', { panel: $refs.panel }); " :aria-expanded="open" :aria-controls="$id('dropdown-button')" :class="{ selected: open }" class="group flex items-center group" arial-label="" aria-label="Open Theme selection dropdown"> <span class="sr-only">Theme</span> <span x-data="{ placeholder: true }"> <span class="inline-block h-5 w-5" x-show="placeholder"></span> <span x-show="darkMode" x-cloak x-init="placeholder = false"> <svg class="h-5 w-5 text-yellow-100 group-hover:text-yellow-200" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 38.4 38.4"><defs><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__b)"><path d="M14.5 11.4c0-4.3 1.4-8.2 3.7-11.4C8.8 1.3 1.6 9.3 1.6 19.1s8.6 19.3 19.3 19.3 12.1-3.1 15.6-7.9c-.9.1-1.8.2-2.7.2-10.7 0-19.3-8.6-19.3-19.3m17.8-6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V4.6c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m0 6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4v-2.1c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m-5.8-3.7h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m6.8 0h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4"/></g></g></svg> </span> <span x-show="!darkMode" x-cloak x-init="placeholder = false"> <svg class="h-5 w-5 text-yellow-400 group-hover:text-yellow-200" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__b)"><path d="M30 20c0 5.5-4.5 10-10 10s-10-4.5-10-10 4.5-10 10-10 10 4.5 10 10m8.6 1.4h-2.2c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 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class=""> <li> <button class=" group flex w-full flex-row items-center px-5 py-2 text-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-700 hover:text-green-400 focus:bg-gray-700 focus:text-green-400" name="theme" type="submit" value="light" aria-label="Set theme to Light"> <svg class="group-with-selected:text-green-400 mr-2 inline-block h-5 w-5 text-gray-100 group-hover:text-green-400 group-focus:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__b)"><path d="M30 20c0 5.5-4.5 10-10 10s-10-4.5-10-10 4.5-10 10-10 10 4.5 10 10m8.6 1.4h-2.2c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4h2.2c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4M34.1 7.9l-1.5 1.5c-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2l1.5-1.5c.6-.6 1.5-.6 2 0 .6.6.6 1.5 0 2M21.4 1.4v2.2c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V1.4c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4M7.9 5.9l1.5 1.5c.6.6.6 1.5 0 2-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0L5.9 7.9c-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2 .6-.6 1.5-.6 2 0M1.4 18.6h2.2c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4H1.4C.6 21.4 0 20.8 0 20s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m4.5 13.5 1.5-1.5c.6-.6 1.4-.6 2 0s.6 1.5 0 2l-1.5 1.5c-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2m12.7 6.5v-2.2c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4v2.2c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4m13.5-4.5-1.5-1.5c-.6-.6-.6-1.4 0-2s1.5-.6 2 0l1.5 1.5c.6.6.6 1.5 0 2-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0"/></g></g></svg> Light </button> </li> <li> <button class=" group flex w-full flex-row items-center px-5 py-2 text-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-700 hover:text-green-400 focus:bg-gray-700 focus:text-green-400" name="theme" type="submit" value="dark" aria-label="Set theme to Dark"> <svg class="group-with-selected:text-green-400 mr-2 inline-block h-5 w-5 text-gray-100 group-hover:text-green-400 group-focus:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 38.4 38.4"><defs><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__b)"><path d="M14.5 11.4c0-4.3 1.4-8.2 3.7-11.4C8.8 1.3 1.6 9.3 1.6 19.1s8.6 19.3 19.3 19.3 12.1-3.1 15.6-7.9c-.9.1-1.8.2-2.7.2-10.7 0-19.3-8.6-19.3-19.3m17.8-6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V4.6c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m0 6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4v-2.1c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m-5.8-3.7h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m6.8 0h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4"/></g></g></svg> Dark </button> </li> <li> <button class="selected bg-gray-700 text-green-400 group flex w-full flex-row items-center px-5 py-2 text-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-700 hover:text-green-400 focus:bg-gray-700 focus:text-green-400" name="theme" type="submit" value="system" aria-label="Set theme to System"> <svg class="group-with-selected:text-green-400 mr-2 inline-block h-5 w-5 text-gray-100 group-hover:text-green-400 group-focus:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="theme-system_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-system_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-system_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-system_svg__b)"><path d="M32 4c2.2 0 4 1.8 4 4v24c0 2.2-1.8 4-4 4H8c-2.2 0-4-1.8-4-4V8c0-2.2 1.8-4 4-4zm0-4H8C3.6 0 0 3.6 0 8v24c0 4.4 3.6 8 8 8h24c4.4 0 8-3.6 8-8V8c0-4.4-3.6-8-8-8"/><path d="M8 8h8v8H8z"/></g></g></svg> System </button> </li> </ul> </nav> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hidden md:flex md:justify-center" data-modal-id="search" x-data="{ open: false, init() { this.modalId = this.$el.dataset.modalId; }, show() { console.log(this.data); this.open = true; this.$dispatch('modal-opened', { panel: this.$refs.panel, modalId: this.modalId, }); }, hide() { this.open = false }, }"> <button type="button" aria-label="Search dialog..." class="search-button flex flex-row items-center text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-100" aria-label="Open search dialog" x-on:click="show()"> <svg class="h-5 w-5" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="magnify_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="magnify_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#magnify_svg__a)"><g fill="none" clip-path="url(#magnify_svg__b)"><path fill="currentColor" d="M39.2 35.4 29 25.2c4.4-6.2 3.9-15-1.7-20.6C24.2 1.6 20.1 0 16 0S7.8 1.6 4.7 4.7c-6.2 6.2-6.2 16.4 0 22.6C7.8 30.4 11.9 32 16 32s6.5-1 9.3-3l10.2 10.2c.5.5 1.2.8 1.9.8s1.4-.3 1.9-.8c1-1 1-2.7 0-3.8M8.5 23.5c-2-2-3.1-4.7-3.1-7.5s1.1-5.5 3.1-7.5 4.7-3.1 7.5-3.1 5.5 1.1 7.5 3.1c4.2 4.2 4.2 10.9 0 15.1-2 2-4.7 3.1-7.5 3.1s-5.5-1.1-7.5-3.1"/></g></g></svg> </button> <template x-teleport="body"> <div class="fixed inset-0 z-[99999] overflow-y-auto" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" x-cloak x-show="open" x-on:keydown.escape.window.prevent.stop="open = false" x-id="['modal-title']" x-ref="panel" :aria-labelledby="$id('modal-title')"> <div class="fixed inset-0 bg-slate-900/80 opacity-100 backdrop-blur" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> </div> <div class="relative flex min-h-screen items-center justify-center" x-on:click="open = false" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> <div x-on:click.stop x-trap.noscroll.inert="open"> <span class="sr-only" :id="$id('modal-title')"> Search dialog... </span> <div class="search-wrapper relative z-[99999] w-screen p-5"> <div class="gcse-search"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </template> </div> <div class="h-5 w-[1px] bg-gray-400"></div> <div class="flex md:justify-center" data-modal-id="sign-in" x-data="{ open: false, init() { this.modalId = this.$el.dataset.modalId; }, show() { console.log(this.data); this.open = true; this.$dispatch('modal-opened', { panel: this.$refs.panel, modalId: this.modalId, }); }, hide() { this.open = false }, }"> <button type="button" aria-label="Sign in dialog..." class="whitespace-nowrap text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-100" aria-label="Open sign in dialog" x-on:click="show()"> Sign In </button> <template x-teleport="body"> <div class="fixed inset-0 z-[99999] overflow-y-auto" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" x-cloak x-show="open" x-on:keydown.escape.window.prevent.stop="open = false" x-id="['modal-title']" x-ref="panel" :aria-labelledby="$id('modal-title')"> <div class="fixed inset-0 bg-slate-900/80 opacity-100 backdrop-blur" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> </div> <div class="relative flex min-h-screen items-center justify-center" x-on:click="open = false" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> <div x-on:click.stop x-trap.noscroll.inert="open"> <span class="sr-only" :id="$id('modal-title')"> Sign in dialog... </span> <div class="sign-in-panel absolute left-1/2 top-1/2 w-3/4 min-w-[320px] max-w-xl -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2" > <header class="font-impact flex items-center justify-between bg-gray-600 px-7 py-4 font-semibold uppercase" > <div class="text-gray-350 flex items-center gap-3"> <svg class="h-3 w-3 text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="arrow-blocks-right_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#arrow-blocks-right_svg__a)"><path d="M32 16h8v8h-8zm-8 8h8v8h-8zm-8 8h8v8h-8zm8-24h8v8h-8zm-8-8h8v8h-8zM0 16h16v8H0z"/></g></svg> Sign in </div> <button class="text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-100 focus:text-gray-100" x-on:click="open = false" > <svg class="h-3 w-3" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 34.7 40"><defs><clipPath id="x_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h34.7v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g fill="none" clip-path="url(#x_svg__a)"><path fill="currentColor" d="m26.4 0-8.5 16.9h-1.1L8.3 0H.8l10.1 19.4L0 40h7.6l9.2-18.3h1.1L27.1 40h7.6L23.8 19.4 33.9 0z"/></g></svg> </button> </header> <div class="sign-in-panel-body bg-gray-700 px-7 py-4"> <div class="col-span-3 normal-case text-gray-300" x-data="{ html: '', form: '', triggered: false }" x-on:modal-opened.window=" panel = $el.parentElement.parentElement.parentElement.parentElement.parentElement; if (triggered || panel !== event.detail.panel) { return; } triggered = true; html = await (await fetch('/civis/login')).text(); // Parse html for form with action=/civis/login/login parser = new DOMParser(); doc = parser.parseFromString(html, 'text/html'); form = doc.querySelector('form[action="/civis/login/login"]'); // Remove autofocus and set focus to username field username = form.querySelector('input[name="login"]'); username.removeAttribute('autofocus'); document.querySelector('.sign-in-form').appendChild(form); username.focus(); " > <div class="sign-in-form"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </template> </div> </div> </header> <main class="main relative -mt-4 lg:mt-6" id="main"> <article class="double-column h-entry post-197707 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-information-technology category-tech-policy" data-id="197707"> <header> <div class="my-4 bg-gray-700 py-4 md:my-10 md:py-8"> <div class="mx-auto max-w-2xl px-4 md:px-8 lg:grid lg:max-w-6xl"> <div class="md:mb-2"> <div class="upper-deck font-impact inline-flex flex-row flex-nowrap items-center gap-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold uppercase leading-tight text-green-400"> <span class="upper-deck__icon"> <svg class="h-5 w-5" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="section-information-technology_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="section-information-technology_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#section-information-technology_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#section-information-technology_svg__b)"><path d="M35 0H5C2.2 0 0 2.2 0 5s2.2 5 5 5h30c2.8 0 5-2.2 5-5s-2.2-5-5-5m-6.9 7c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2s.9-2 2-2 2 .9 2 2-.9 2-2 2m6 0c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2s.9-2 2-2 2 .9 2 2-.9 2-2 2m.9 8H5c-2.8 0-5 2.2-5 5s2.2 5 5 5h30c2.8 0 5-2.2 5-5s-2.2-5-5-5m-6.9 7.2c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2s.9-2 2-2 2 .9 2 2-.9 2-2 2m6 0c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2s.9-2 2-2 2 .9 2 2-.9 2-2 2M35 30H5c-2.8 0-5 2.2-5 5s2.2 5 5 5h30c2.8 0 5-2.2 5-5s-2.2-5-5-5m-6.9 7.4c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2s.9-2 2-2 2 .9 2 2-.9 2-2 2m6 0c-1.1 0-2-.9-2-2s.9-2 2-2 2 .9 2 2-.9 2-2 2"/></g></g></svg> </span> <span class="upper-deck__text"> Biz & IT </span> </div> </div> <h1 class="mb-3 font-serif text-4xl font-bold text-gray-100 md:text-6xl md:leading-[1.05]"> Massive search fraud botnet seized by Microsoft and Symantec </h1> <p class="my-3 text-2xl leading-[1.1] text-gray-300 md:leading-[1.2]"> Hundreds of thousands of Bamital bots made ring of 18 operators over $1M a year. </p> <div class="my-3 md:mb-6 md:mt-0"> <div class="font-impact text-xs font-semibold uppercase text-gray-300"><a class="text-orange-400 hover:text-orange-500" href="https://arstechnica.com/author/sean-gallagher/"> Sean Gallagher </a> – <span class="whitespace-nowrap"> <time class="mr-[2px] inline-block cursor-default" title="2013-02-06T19:35:16-05:00" datetime="2013-02-06T19:35:16-05:00" x-data="{ compact: false, open: false, date: new Date('2013-02-06T19:35:16-05:00'), updatedTimestamp: false, format: function() { let dateFormat = { year: 'numeric', month: 'short', day: 'numeric' }; let timeFormat = { hour: 'numeric', minute: 'numeric' }; let formatted = this.date.toLocaleDateString(undefined, dateFormat) + ' ' + this.date.toLocaleTimeString(undefined, timeFormat); if (this.compact) { if (this.date.toDateString() === new Date().toDateString()) { formatted = this.date.toLocaleTimeString(undefined, timeFormat); if (this.updatedTimestamp) { formatted = 'at ' + formatted; } } else { formatted = this.date.toLocaleDateString(undefined, { year: 'numeric', month: 'numeric', day: 'numeric' }); } } if (this.updatedTimestamp) { formatted = 'Updated ' + formatted; } return formatted; } }" x-text="format()"> Feb 6, 2013 7:35 pm </time> <span class="text-gray-550">|</span> <a class="view-comments text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-500" href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/02/massive-search-fraud-botnet-siezed-by-microsoft-and-symantec/#comments" title="65 comments"> <svg class="-mt-1 ml-1 mr-[2px] inline-block h-4 w-4" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 80 80"><defs><clipPath id="bubble-zero_svg__a"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h80v80H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="bubble-zero_svg__b"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h80v80H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#bubble-zero_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#bubble-zero_svg__b)"><path d="M80 40c0 22.09-17.91 40-40 40S0 62.09 0 40 17.91 0 40 0s40 17.91 40 40"/><path d="M40 40 .59 76.58C-.67 77.84.22 80 2.01 80H40z"/></g></g></svg> 65 </a> </span></div> </div> <div class="relative"> <div class="ars-lightbox"> <div class="ars-lightbox-item"> <a data-pswp-width="732" data-pswp-height="844" data-pswp-srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware.jpg 732w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware-300x346.jpg 300w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware-640x738.jpg 640w" data-cropped="false" href="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware.jpg" target="_blank" class="cursor-zoom-in"> <img width="732" height="844" src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware.jpg" class="intro-image" alt="" loading="eager" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware.jpg 732w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware-300x346.jpg 300w, https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/6403.Malware-640x738.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /> </a> <div class="pswp-caption-content" id="caption-199017"> <div class="caption font-impact mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> Users with computers infected by the Bamital botnet malware will see this page every time they click a search result. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div> <div class="caption font-impact mb-4 mt-2 inline-flex flex-row items-stretch gap-1 text-base leading-tight text-gray-300"> <div class="caption-icon bg-[left_top_5px] w-[10px] shrink-0"></div> <div class="caption-content"> Users with computers infected by the Bamital botnet malware will see this page every time they click a search result. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="text-settings-dropdown-story mdl:absolute mdl:z-10 mdl:mb-0 mdl:mt-1 relative -mt-4 mb-2"> <div x-data="{ open: false, toggle() { if (this.open) { return this.close() } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'true'; } this.open = true }, close() { if (!this.open) { return; } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'false'; } this.open = false } }" @keydown.escape.prevent.stop="close($refs.button)" @focusin.window="! $refs.panel.contains($event.target) && close()" x-id="['dropdown-button']">  <button type="button" x-ref="button" x-on:click=" toggle(); $dispatch('dropdown-opened', { panel: $refs.panel }); " :aria-expanded="open" :aria-controls="$id('dropdown-button')" :class="{ selected: open }" class="group flex items-center bg-gray-150 dark:bg-gray-550 mdl:flex-col mdl:bg-transparent mdl:p-0 mdl:dark:bg-transparent flex w-full items-center justify-between px-[15px] py-2.5 sm:px-5 lg:px-8" arial-label="" aria-label="Open text settings dropdown"> <div class="flex items-center gap-2"> <svg class="dark:text-gray-250 mdl:h-7 mdl:w-7 h-5 w-5 text-gray-300 group-hover:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 43 43"><defs><clipPath id="text-settings_svg__a"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h43v43H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="text-settings_svg__b"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h43v43H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#text-settings_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#text-settings_svg__b)"><path d="M33.52 17.82c-.69-.27-1.55-.4-2.55-.4-.6 0-1.28.03-2.04.08-.76.06-1.52.12-2.28.21-.76.08-1.43.18-2.01.29l.34 2.38c.97-.06 1.92-.12 2.84-.16q1.38-.06 2.31-.06c.74 0 1.25.13 1.52.39s.4.67.4 1.24v.56h-4.34c-1.13 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<span class="settings-icon"> <svg class="dark:text-gray-250 mdl:hidden h-4 w-4 text-gray-300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 39.8 40"><defs><clipPath id="settings_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h39.8v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="settings_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h39.8v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#settings_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#settings_svg__b)"><path d="M17.4 3c-.8-1.8-2.5-3-4.5-3S9.1 1.2 8.3 3H0v4h8.3c.8 1.8 2.5 3 4.6 3s3.8-1.2 4.6-3h22.4V3H17.5Zm-4.6 4.5c-1.4 0-2.5-1.1-2.5-2.5s1.1-2.5 2.5-2.5 2.5 1.1 2.5 2.5-1.1 2.5-2.5 2.5M27 15c-2 0-3.8 1.2-4.6 3H0v4h22.4c.8 1.8 2.5 3 4.6 3s3.8-1.2 4.6-3h8.3v-4h-8.3c-.8-1.8-2.5-3-4.6-3m0 7.5c-1.4 0-2.5-1.1-2.5-2.5s1.1-2.5 2.5-2.5 2.5 1.1 2.5 2.5-1.1 2.5-2.5 2.5M12.9 30c-2 0-3.8 1.2-4.6 3H0v4h8.3c.8 1.8 2.5 3 4.6 3s3.8-1.2 4.6-3h22.4v-4H17.5c-.8-1.8-2.5-3-4.6-3m0 7.5c-1.4 0-2.5-1.1-2.5-2.5s1.1-2.5 2.5-2.5 2.5 1.1 2.5 2.5-1.1 2.5-2.5 2.5"/></g></g></svg> <svg class="dark:text-gray-250 mdl:block mt-[3px] hidden h-auto w-5 text-gray-300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 25.17"><defs><clipPath id="settings-compact_svg__a"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h40v25.17H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="settings-compact_svg__b"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h40v25.17H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#settings-compact_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#settings-compact_svg__b)"><path d="M27.09.09c-2.05 0-3.81 1.24-4.58 3H0v4h22.51c.77 1.76 2.53 3 4.58 3s3.81-1.24 4.58-3H40v-4h-8.33c-.77-1.76-2.53-3-4.58-3m0 7.5a2.5 2.5 0 0 1 0-5 2.5 2.5 0 0 1 0 5m-14.18 7.58c-2.05 0-3.81 1.24-4.58 3H0v4h8.34c.77 1.76 2.53 3 4.58 3s3.81-1.24 4.58-3h22.51v-4H17.5c-.77-1.76-2.53-3-4.58-3m-.01 7.5a2.5 2.5 0 0 1 0-5 2.5 2.5 0 0 1 0 5"/></g></g></svg> </span> </button>  <div x-cloak x-ref="panel" x-show="open" x-transition.origin.top.center x-on:click.outside="close()" :id="$id('dropdown-button')" class="absolute overflow-hidden z-50 bg-gray-550 absolute left-0 top-0"> <div class="text-settings"> <div class="text-settings-menu bg-gray-550 w-60"> <div class="flex items-center justify-between bg-gray-600 px-5 py-2"> <div class="flex items-center gap-2"> <svg class="h-5 w-5 text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="text-settings-open_svg__a"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="text-settings-open_svg__b"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#text-settings-open_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#text-settings-open_svg__b)"><path d="M26.38 23.2c-.19.21-.28.49-.28.85v.58c0 .4.11.72.34.93.23.22.59.33 1.09.33.42 0 .88-.09 1.37-.27q.735-.27 1.47-.75c.06-.04.11-.09.17-.13v-1.87h-3.23q-.66.015-.93.33"/><path d="M32 0H8C3.58 0 0 3.58 0 8v24.01C0 36.42 3.58 40 8 40h24c4.42 0 8-3.58 8-8V8c0-4.42-3.58-8-8-8M17.88 28.23l-1.23-4.42h-5.77l-1.23 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0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g fill="none" clip-path="url(#close_svg__a)"><path fill="currentColor" d="M34.3 0 20 14.3 5.7 0H0v5.7L14.3 20 0 34.3V40h5.7L20 25.7 34.3 40H40v-5.7L25.7 20 40 5.7V0z"/></g></svg> </span> </div> <div class="grid grid-cols-3 items-center gap-3 px-5 py-2"> <label class="font-impact w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" for="text-settings-size">Size</label> <select name="text-settings-size" class="text-settings-size col-span-2 bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300"> <option value="small">Small</option> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="large">Large</option> </select> <label class="font-impact hidden w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100 md:block" for="text-settings-width">Width <span class="text-gray-400">*</span> </label> <select name="text-settings-width" class="text-settings-width col-span-2 hidden bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300 md:block"> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="wide">Wide</option> </select> <label class="font-impact w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" for="text-settings-links">Links</label> <select name="text-settings-links" class="text-settings-links col-span-2 bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300"> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="orange">Orange</option> </select> <div class="font-impact col-span-3 hidden text-sm font-semibold uppercase text-gray-400 md:block"> <span class="mb-0 italic">* Subscribers only</span><br>   <a href="/store/product/subscriptions/" class="text-green-400">Learn more</a> </div> <button class="font-impact text-settings-position col-span-3 mx-auto my-3 block rounded-sm border-2 border-green-400 px-3 py-1 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" value="nav"> Minimize to nav </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mx-auto my-2.5 px-[15px] sm:px-5 lg:grid lg:max-w-5xl lg:grid-cols-3 lg:gap-6 lg:px-8 xl:px-0"> <div class="relative lg:col-span-2"> <div class="post-content post-content-double"> <p>A botnet that redirected clicks from millions of PCs has been <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/02/06/microsoft-and-symantec-take-down-bamital-botnet-that-hijacks-online-searches.aspx">shut down by Microsoft and Symantec</a>, at least for the moment. Based on the fraudulent traffic generated by the Bamital botnet, the two companies estimate that its operators netted more than $1 million a year by redirecting unsuspecting computer users to websites they didn't intend to go, cashing in on the traffic with online advertising networks.</p> <p>Acting on a court order they obtained from the US District Court in Alexandria, technicians from the two companies—accompanied by federal marshals—showed up at two data centers today to take down the servers controlling the Bamital botnet. A server in an ISPrime data center in Weehawken, New Jersey was seized, while the operators of a LeaseWeb data center in Manassas, Virginia voluntarily shut down a server at the company's headquarters in the Netherlands. LeaseWeb is providing an image of that server to Microsoft and Symantec. "These servers were command and control servers and were also absorbing the malicious traffic the botnet was creating," said Vikram Thakur, principal security response manager at Symantec in an interview with Ars.</p> <p>Richard Boscovich, Microsoft's general counsel, said that while the malware had been identified as far back as 2011, nailing down the exact servers they needed to go after took some time. "The malware was morphing back and forth, so it made it difficult to identify the targets," he said. But when the botnet stabilized a few months ago, "it offered a window of opportunity to go after them. The legal portion took about two months."</p> <div class="ars-interlude-container in-content-interlude mx-auto max-w-xl"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hidden min-w-[300px] justify-self-end bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-50 lg:block"> <div class="ad-wrapper is-sticky is-rail"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--rail"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ad-wrapper with-label is-fullwidth"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--mid-content"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mx-auto my-2.5 px-[15px] sm:px-5 lg:grid lg:max-w-5xl lg:grid-cols-3 lg:gap-6 lg:px-8 xl:px-0"> <div class="relative lg:col-span-2"> <div class="post-content post-content-double"> <p>Based on forensic evidence collected from infected computers by Symantec and Microsoft, there have been several generations of Bamital, with activity dating back at least three years. Early variants of the malware attacked users' Web browsers with HTML injection. "They injected an iframe into every page," Thakur said, "so whatever page loaded also loaded content from the bad guys."</p> <p>In later variants of Bamital, the malware simply redirected any click on a search page to the botnet's own servers, which in turn used HTML redirects to feed the victims' traffic into an advertising network. That network acted as a clearinghouse for other advertiser networks, so a click could go through several sets of redirects before it actually landed on a website—and not the one the user expected.</p> <p>Because of the nature of Bamital, Microsoft is now in a position that's different from some of its previous botnet takedowns—it has a direct line to victims of the malware. "One of things we're doing a little differently in this case is we're doing direct victim notification," Boscovich said. Users with systems infected by Bamital will now be redirected to a Microsoft webpage offering tools to help remove the Bamital malware—as well as any other malware that's out there.</p> <p>"There are AV signatures out there for this malware already," Boscovich said. "They may have an OS that's unpatched or antivirus software that's outdated. We're taking control of the command and control network so that every time someone types in a search query, they're going to get redirected to a page directly by Microsoft."</p> </div> </div> <div class="hidden min-w-[300px] justify-self-end bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-50 lg:block"> <div class="ad-wrapper is-sticky is-rail"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--rail"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ad-wrapper with-label is-fullwidth"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--mid-content"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mx-auto my-2.5 px-[15px] sm:px-5 lg:grid lg:max-w-5xl lg:grid-cols-3 lg:gap-6 lg:px-8 xl:px-0"> <div class="relative lg:col-span-2"> <div class="post-content post-content-double"> <p>Thakur said that the Bamital malware was initially delivered by a combination of methods, including in packages over peer-to-peer filesharing networks disguised as other content. But the majority of systems infected were the victim of "driveby downloads" from websites configured with malicious software intended to exploit browser security flaws. "We have evidence of [the botnet operators] polluting search engine results for certain search terms with links to servers with exploits," he said.</p> <p>As new variants of the botnet were developed, the operators made efforts to "upgrade" systems they had already infected. "But along the way they seemed to have left behind a number of people," Thakur said. The older servers that had been used with previous versions of the malware appear to have been abandoned as well.</p> <p>In 2011, Microsoft and Symantec were able to monitor the traffic going to one of the botnet's servers. "We got back data that showed that 3 million clicks were being hijacked by that server on a daily basis," Thakur said. Based on a conservative estimate of a payment for one-tenth of a percent of the advertising value for each click, the companies determined the fraud ring was pulling in over $1 million a year from advertising networks. "And it could have been 2 or 3 times that much," he said.</p> <p>The advertising networks connected to Bamital themselves may be completely fraudulent. They acted as clearinghouses for the traffic and resold it to other, legitimate advertising networks and affiliate programs. "Bamital went through several ad networks before it even displayed content," Thakur said. "It was super convoluted."</p> <p>Microsoft and Symantec are hoping the data obtained through the seizure of the server in New Jersey will help them get a better understanding of the underground ecosystem of advertising networks that drives botnets like Bamital. But it's too early to tell if it will help catch the actual perpetrators. "We still have to go through the evidence," Boscovich said, but he noted that Microsoft had some success in the past in identifying botnet operators, as it did with <a href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/01/kelihos-botnet-creator-worked-for-antivirus-company-microsoft-says/">Kelihos</a>.</p> </div> <div class="-mx-2.5 sm:mx-0"> </div> <div class="listing-credit my-2"> </div> <div class="author-mini-bio"> <div class="flex flex-col items-start gap-5 border-t-4 py-5 dark:border-gray-700 sm:flex-row"> <div class="flex items-center gap-3"> <a class="relative block aspect-square h-24 w-24 shrink-0 overflow-hidden rounded-full border-4 border-green-400" href="https://arstechnica.com/author/sean-gallagher/"><img class="absolute left-0 top-0 min-h-full min-w-full object-cover" src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/s.gallagher-9.jpg" alt="Photo of Sean Gallagher"></a> <div class="font-impact mb-0 text-left text-base font-semibold uppercase sm:hidden"> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/author/sean-gallagher/">Sean Gallagher</a> <span class="block font-sans text-sm font-normal italic sm:inline-block">IT Editor Emeritus</span> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="font-impact mb-0 hidden text-left text-base font-semibold uppercase sm:block"> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/author/sean-gallagher/">Sean Gallagher</a> <span class="block font-sans text-sm font-normal italic sm:ml-2 sm:inline-block">IT Editor Emeritus</span> </div> <div class="text-left text-base leading-5 text-gray-400" itemprop="description"> Sean was previously Ars Technica's IT and National Security Editor, and is now a Principal Threat Researcher at SophosLabs. A former Navy officer, systems administrator, and network systems integrator with 20 years of IT journalism experience, he lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="story-tools flex items-center justify-between border-t-4 text-sm dark:border-gray-700 sm:text-lg"> <a class="view-comments font-impact my-5 flex items-center gap-2 whitespace-nowrap font-semibold uppercase" href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/02/massive-search-fraud-botnet-siezed-by-microsoft-and-symantec/#comments" title="65 comments"> <svg class="text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-500 h-6 w-6" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 80 80"><defs><clipPath id="bubble-zero_svg__a"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h80v80H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="bubble-zero_svg__b"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h80v80H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#bubble-zero_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#bubble-zero_svg__b)"><path d="M80 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Massive search fraud botnet seized by Microsoft and Symantec - Ars Technica