Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Trojan, Peskyspy, Skype, VoIP, Source | Themes: Software, Networking
The source code to a VoIP Trojan could become part of a larger, more devious package.
Symantec is reporting that the source code for a Trojan has been publicly released. Called Trojan.Peskyspy, the Trojan is currently targeting Skype users although Symantec said that it has nothing to do with the program itself, but rather its overall popularity. For now, the Trojan is considered to be a low threat, however Symantec did indicate that the source code could be embedded into additional malware as part of a larger package.
Symantec also explained that Peskyspy could be considered as the first "wiretap Trojan," as it only records audio sent and received by VoIP applications, grabbing the sound coming from the audio devices plugged into the computer. This means that the Trojan captures outbound audio from the microphone before it reaches the application, and after the incoming audio has left the application and sent to the speakers.
"It does this by hooking various Windows API calls that are used in audio input and output," the company said in this security blog. "It then is able to intercept all audio data traveling between the Skype process and the underlying audio device. The extracted audio data is then saved to .mp3 files and stored on the computer."
Symantec said that the Trojan contains a back door, and sends the audio files to a location predetermined by the attacker.
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Did they acquire the license to save as mp3 file? lol.
Sounds like it's government
China's government maybe after all they said they already cracked skype so you know it doesn't harm their citizens with slanderous info coming from those calls.
Wow thats a shitload of MP3s, who is going to listen to all that i miss you and love you talk from WoW addicted gamers who are talking to their girlfriends online that they ahve never met?!!! (My old roomate)
Wow thats a shitload of MP3s, who is going to listen to all that i miss you and love you talk from WoW addicted gamers who are talking to their girlfriends online that they ahve never met?!!! (My old roomate)
Dunno... an algorithm with voice-to-text that looks for certain key phrases, like a series of numbers that start with credit card digits. The algorithm might also be programmed to recognize touch tones and process those pieces of information into data.
However, if it is a government agency (as some suggested), then they already have these systems in place - with key words triggering the conversation for human review. So, in that case, someone making close to minimum wage in a government job will probably be the one to listen in on your conversations.
Easily mitigated with SRTP on VOIP... if anything hopefully this will encourage people to employ SRTP (encrypts audio stream) and TLS (encrypts signaling stream) on VOIP systems. There are so many unsecure VoIP systems out there. What is brutally painful is SIP compatability problems between vendors, so many ITSPs aren't even using MD5 registration for authentication, they are filtering calls by originating IPs, which means the signaling stream is sent in plain text.
Ya i was Navy and worked with a lot of TS stuff, and ya keywords like 'bomb' 'terror' 'allah' etc are flagged BUT on specific lines, the entire freikin internet?! The manpower needed to sift through that crap...near impossible. And the funding to do such a thing (insane)...we would have to outsource the work to India. But as for credit card numbers...cmon who talks about that crap on skype?!
They won't get much info from me this way since all I listen to is hulu shows.
Easily mitigated with SRTP on VOIP... if anything hopefully this will encourage people to employ SRTP (encrypts audio stream) and TLS (encrypts signaling stream) on VOIP systems. There are so many unsecure VoIP systems out there. What is brutally painful is SIP compatability problems between vendors, so many ITSPs aren't even using MD5 registration for authentication, they are filtering calls by originating IPs, which means the signaling stream is sent in plain text.
Uh, what? it happens while still in analog form during interaction with humans. You can't encrypt that part >.>
But as for credit card numbers...cmon who talks about that crap on skype?!
I wouldn't put it past most people.
What is the purpose of this sort of Trojan?
How about this:
Massive Gov't PC farm (SKYNET), millions of PC's (maybe even all online home PC's with part of their resources hijacked by implanted software or hardware), scanning the net, bank accounts, VOIP, cell phones, etc.
Most people don't raise any program flags at first. Until you do something that raises the system monitor on you like:
1) Walk into a gun show (we had the FBI taking photo's of license plates at gun shows in Milwaukee a few months ago) or gun store. Level 1 monitor - your name on an e-list.
2) Veterans or anyone who actually buys a gun. Level 2 monitor - your name on an e-list, SKYNET flag to watch phone/Internet for words or phrases.
3) Derisive commentary made on phone or Internet by Level 2 agent - Level 3 monitor - all contacts listed and flag level listing collected and updated to make contacts as Level 3. Human monitoring initiated.
4) Meetings and group conversations of Level 3 group noted by observers. Level 4 monitor. Physical monitoring (camera's and sound recording placed inside or around homes and work of group to catch personal conversations and collect all evidence of ANY kind of antigov't, antisocial, or illegal activity. Vehicular surveillance and all movement tracked. Prosecution records initiated for "Legal" action. National security activity initiated.
Need I go any further?
I like how many government conspiracies bloom from a report like this. It's strange that a lot of people are more afraid of their own government than they are of airline hijackers, suicide bombers, or home invasion. I guess you're just not cool unless you hate your own government. Oh how weak and pathetic we have become.
Here's a thought to those who are whining: Love it or leave it.
Funny, but a whole lot of people said the same thing in 1775.
When you when you have spent as much time as some of us have in the military (10 years as a weapon's tech in the Navy in my case - so I figure I HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN, SO STFU!!!), and you realize how far our government has come in the wrong direction away from its original ideals: like responsibility, self-sufficiency, and that whole Bill of Rights thingy. Just read the Preamble if you need inspiration.
Those of us who sacrificed years, our health, and in some cases our lives did so to honor that ideal and do our part to keep it alive and are furious at what is being done by a bunch of lazy, rich, over-educated, moral pygmy, whiners who got rich by publicly hating the hands that allowed them to do so (tenured college professors - like our Organizer-in-Chief) or by being born to the silver spoon as a inbred descendant of pirates, slavers, and thieves like the last couple of idiots that infested the office.
We won't even talk about the nest of TRAITORS THAT INFESTS THE HALLS OF CONGRESS!!
I don't use Skype. For the time being it doesn't affect me in any way.
False_Dmitry_II is right... this audio hijacking occurs before skype even has a chance to encapsulate the data for transport... encryption of the VoIP packets will do nothing to prevent this... so the SRTP proponents got it wrong...