BKDR_EXDEPH.A

One would think that there is no relationship between a malware infection and a Libyan dictator's brutal death. However, a relationship between BKDR_EXDEPH.A and Mummar Ghadaffi's death exists. Thousands of computer users around the world have become infected with BKDR_EXDEPH.A and similar Trojan infections, due to spam email and messages on social networks claiming to contain videos or photographs of this murderous dictator's death. This has become a standard practice among computer criminals. Gone are the days of trying to infiltrate a computer system through brute force. While worms and viruses still can corrupt files and make their way onto a victim's computer, many hackers bypass these steps. After all, why take all the trouble if a little deception is all you need to make the victim do the work for you? This practice is known as social engineering, that is, taking advantage of weaknesses in human nature through deception. By taking advantage of the average person's morbid curiosity to see pictures of Mummar Ghadaffi's violent death, criminals can convince an unsuspecting computer user to download and install BKDR_EXDEPH.A himself. ESG PC security researchers strongly recommend avoiding any links or attached files included in unsolicited emails or social network messages.

Characteristics of the BKDR_EXDEPH.A Scam

The spam email associated with BKDR_EXDEPH.A is in plain text, rather than disguised as a newsletter from a news website (a standard practice among similar malware infections). The file attached to this spam email is in .RAR format. By using file compression, hackers can prevent their victim from viewing the contents of the file attachment before it is too late to avoid an infection. The attachment is named 'late Muammar Gadhafi's dead body pics' and is really an executable file that installs BKDR_EXDEPH.A. This Trojan connects a remote server, so it can download additional malware. BKDR_EXDEPH.A can be used to take over a computer system completely. This is why ESG security researchers strongly warn against downloading unknown files of any kind, especially those contained in unsolicited email messages. Once BKDR_EXDEPH.A is installed, it automatically backs up itself and awaits further instructions. According to ESG malware analysts, BKDR_EXDEPH.A has the potential to download a remote access tool, which can allow a criminal to use your computer to carry out illegal activities or to steal your data and online passwords.