Gauss: New Virus Detected By Kaspersky Lab


Security researchers have discovered a new virus in the Middle East, quite similar to Stuxnet, which is capable of stealing login and password information, spy on computer configuration and most importantly, banking transaction.It was named 'Gauss' .


Some Facts About the Virus Published By Kaspersky Lab:
    "Analysis indicates that Gauss began operations in the September 2011 timeframe.
    It was first discovered in June 2012, resulting from the knowledge gained by the in-depth analysis and research conducted on the Flame malware.
    This discovery was made possible due to strong resemblances and correlations between Flame and Gauss.
    The Gauss C&C infrastructure was shutdown in July 2012 shortly after its discovery. Currently the malware is in a dormant state, waiting for its C&C servers to become active.
    Since late May 2012, more than 2,500 infections were recorded by Kaspersky Lab’s cloud-based security system, with the estimated total number of victims of Gauss probably being in the tens of thousands. This number is lower compared to the case of Stuxnet but it’s significantly higher than the number of attacks in Flame and Duqu.
    Gauss steals detailed information about infected PCs including browser history, cookies, passwords, and system configurations. It is also capable of stealing access credentials for various online banking systems and payment methods.
    Analysis of Gauss shows it was designed to steal data from several Lebanese banks including the Bank of Beirut, EBLF, BlomBank, ByblosBank, FransaBank and Credit Libanais. In addition, it targets users of Citibank and PayPal.
"
This virus is also capable of infecting USB drives.

Chief Security Expert at Kaspersky Lab, Alexander Gostev said :
Gauss bears striking resemblances to Flame, such as its design and code base, which enabled us to discover the malicious program. Similar to Flame and Duqu, Gauss is a complex cyber-espionage toolkit, with its design emphasizing stealth and secrecy; however, its purpose was different to Flame or Duqu. Gauss targets multiple users in select countries to steal large amounts of data, with a specific focus on banking and financial information.

Source: Kaspersky Lab

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