Tech & Biz

Kneber Botnet: Spyware Infects 75,000 Corporate, Govt Computers

by Jordan Yerman | February 18, 2010 at 07:47 am

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The Kneber botnet has infected at least 75,000 computers at 2,500 companies and government agenices around the world, having run rampant through government and corporate networks for the past 18 months. The Kneber botnet is stealing data from infected machines, harvesting everything from login credentials to Facebook and banking details.

NetWitness found the Kneber botnet, a version of the Zeus botnet, during a routine check. The deeper NetWitness dug, the clearer it became that the spyware infection was massive. Among the corporate networks infected were Paramount Pictures and Merck & Co. The Kneber botnet attack was initiated by getting unwitting net users to click on links in malicious websites, or on dodgy email attachments.

NetWitness said the attacks have been going on for about 18 months and appeared to originate in Europe and China. The company has shared its findings with the targeted companies and government agencies.

"Disturbingly, the data was only a one-month snapshot of data from a campaign that has been in operation for more than a year," NetWitness said in a statement announcing the discovery of the botnet late yesterday.