‘Je Suis Charlie’ Malware Shows Attackers’ Agility
New malware piggy-backing on the viral “Je suis Charlie” slogan demonstrates the continuing evolution of malware writers, able to respond to trends quickly and with a robust distribution infrastructure.
The new malware, based on DarkComet RAT code, was spotted within 24 hours of the attack against the Charlie Hedbo satirical newspaper last week in Paris, according to researchers from Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Blue Coat Systems, Inc.
And it was clever enough to get around antivirus scanners — according to Blue Coat, only 2 out of 53 antivirus programs were able to detect it as of Wednesday.
“It demonstrates how agile these criminal organizations have become,” said Blue Coat’s chief security strategist Hugh Thompson.