September 21, 2009 at 15:05Open Source Wins Trojan Market
According to some security experts, the Open Source market share has reached 10% and continues to grow. Open software has an advantage over closed software, because it is easier to modify the program and add new features, which is very important in this specific software.
Some open source Trojans are de facto transformed into collective projects: one hacker group will add a cryptography module there, the other will add video streaming functionality from a remote PC, etc. At the same time, the authors of the trojans make money in the usual way for Open Source - they are widely known for opening the source code, and they make a paid version of the program with advanced functionality.
The custom to release open source trojans began in 1999, when the hacker group Cult of the Dead Cow published the source code for the Back Orifice Trojan .
In 2007, the Limbo Trojan was released, which, after opening the source code, became the most actively used trojan in the history of the Internet. To date, this trojan is much inferior in functionality to the more sophisticated competitor Zeus, but due to the open source, it is Limbo that has great chances to become the first trojan for a novice hacker. Before the source was opened, Limbo sold for $ 350, while Zeus on the black market costs between $ 1,000 and $ 3,000.
True, there are also disadvantages in opening the source code, because security specialists can comprehensively analyze the program code and subsequently configure heuristic analysis systems to reliably detect the activity of this particular trojan.
Some open source Trojans are de facto transformed into collective projects: one hacker group will add a cryptography module there, the other will add video streaming functionality from a remote PC, etc. At the same time, the authors of the trojans make money in the usual way for Open Source - they are widely known for opening the source code, and they make a paid version of the program with advanced functionality.
The custom to release open source trojans began in 1999, when the hacker group Cult of the Dead Cow published the source code for the Back Orifice Trojan .
In 2007, the Limbo Trojan was released, which, after opening the source code, became the most actively used trojan in the history of the Internet. To date, this trojan is much inferior in functionality to the more sophisticated competitor Zeus, but due to the open source, it is Limbo that has great chances to become the first trojan for a novice hacker. Before the source was opened, Limbo sold for $ 350, while Zeus on the black market costs between $ 1,000 and $ 3,000.
True, there are also disadvantages in opening the source code, because security specialists can comprehensively analyze the program code and subsequently configure heuristic analysis systems to reliably detect the activity of this particular trojan.