13. March 2010 · Comments Off on Latest Zeus Trojan software release added hardware-based anti-piracy control · Categories: Botnets, Innovation, Malware · Tags: , ,

The Register reports:

The latest version of the Zeus do-it-yourself crimeware kit goes to
great lengths to thwart would-be pirates by introducing a
hardware-based product activation scheme similar to what's found in
Microsoft Windows.

The newest version with bare-bones capabilities starts at $4,000 and
additional features can fetch as much as $10,000. The new feature is
designed to prevent what Microsoft refers to as "casual copying"
by ensuring that only one computer can run a licensed version of the
program. After it is installed, users must obtain a key that's good for
just that one machine.

To state the obvious, if anyone needed a reminder, the crimeware software industry is big business and maturing. 

In addition The Register reported:

The latest version of Zeus is 1.3.3.7, SecureWorks researcher Kevin Stevens told El Reg.
But the authors are already busy working on version 1.4, which is being
beta tested. It offers polymorphic encryption that allows the trojan to
re-encrypt itself each time it infects a victim, giving each one a
unique digital fingerprint. As a result, anti-virus programs, which
already struggle mightily to recognize Zeus infections, have an even harder time detecting the menace.

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