Patrick Swayze web searches lead to malware
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The death of actor Patrick Swayze from cancer is being exploited by cybercriminals pushing malware such as fake antivirus products. Web searches for news of Swayze’s death leads to websites hosting malicious content.
Using Black Hat SEO tactics, the malware writers quickly set up websites loaded with Swayze-related search terms to get their malicious sites ranked high in search engines such as Google.
Web security researchers at F-Secure spotted one such website that hijacks the web browser with a pop-up warning visitors that their PC has been “infected.” The fake AV program then runs a phony scan of the system and prompts users to purchase a useless AV product.
Cybercriminals frequently exploit top trending web searches and late-breaking news stories to ensnare curious web surfers. Recently, security researchers have seen this tactic used to push fake AV on sites concerning September 11, tennis star Serena Williams and a Facebook application called FanCheck.
Security experts advise that legitimate AV products will never use pop-ups in a user’s web browser. Users should only purchase AV online from known vendor sites or from a brick-and-mortar retailer.
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