Researchers crack into Storm botnet

Comms channels decrypted, automated removal possible.

A group of German academics claim to have deciphered communications protocols used by the infamous ‘Storm’ botnet, allowing them to monitor infected nodes and control systems, and potentially to deactivate and disinfect them remotely.

The collaborative operation between two German universities saw samples of the Storm malware, and the communications traffic used to control infected systems, reverse engineered and analysed. Using the data gathered, the researchers were able to create their own communications system which could integrate into the peer-to-peer network, thought to contain as many as 100,000 nodes despite heavy disinfection efforts, including a huge cleanup by

Microsoft

‘s

Malicious Software Removal Tool

.

Once in, it should be possible to pose as a control server and issue any command to peer nodes across the botnet. A system for dismantling the network and rendering infected hosts safe has been designed and tested on sealed lab networks, but may not be useable thanks to complex laws regarding unauthorised remote tampering with computer systems.

More detail is in reports from

heise Security


here

and

The Register


here

.

Posted on 13 January 2009 by

Virus Bulletin