Hacking Virus 'Bladabindi' Prowling In Indian Cyberspace


NEW DELHI: Cyber security sleuths have alerted Indian Internet users against hacking attempts of a clandestine multi-identity virus--Bladabindi-- which steals sensitive personal information of a user for nefarious purposes.

The virus, the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) said, could infect "Microsoft Windows operating system" and it spread through removable USB flash drives, popularly known as pendrive and data cards, including other malwares.

CERT-In is the nodal national agency to combat hacking, phishing and to fortify security-related defences of the Indian Internet domain.

"It has been reported that variants of malware called Bladabindi are spreading. This malware steals sensitive user information from infected computer system. Bladabindi could also be used as malware downloader to propagate further malware and provide backdoor access to the remote attacker.

"Some of the Bladabindi variants could capture keyboard press, control computer camera and later send collected sensitive information to remote attacker. Bladabindi is infecting Microsoft Windows operating system and spreading via infecting removable USB flash drives and via other malwares," the latest advisory by the agency said.

The threat potential of the malware or the virus can be gauged from the fact that it can acquire as many as 12 aliases to conceal its real identity and later affect a computer system or personal information of a user.

"Bladabindi variants can be created using a publicly available malicious hacker tool. Attacker can create a malicious file using any choice of icon to mislead or entice naive user into running the malicious file," the advisory said.

Source: PTI