more on Hackers Hijack PC's for Sex Sites

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk () gsp org>
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 09:04:56 -0400
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: "John F. McMullen" <observer () westnet com>
Subject: Re: [IP] Hackers Hijack PC's for Sex Sites

> More than a thousand unsuspecting Internet users around the world have
> recently had their computers hijacked by hackers, who computer security
> experts say are using them for pornographic Web sites.

This is the tip of the iceberg.  There are hundreds of thousands of
systems (mostly on cable/DSL connections) out there which have either
already been hijacked, or are hijack-ready, and are being used as a
distributed spamplifier.

The hijack method is a virus/worm which creates exploitable open
proxies on the target system.  Spammers then use these systems (and
their broadband connections) to send millions of spams very rapidly.
The companies which operate these networks (Comcast, Verizon, etc.) are
either unable or unwilling to make any attempt to address these issues,
which is why various DNSBLs have been created so that folks can defend
themselves.

To give you an idea of the scope of the problem: I happen to have logs
from 4 small mail servers with me today (because I'm investigating
something else). I see that thus far in 2003, there have been about
37,960 spam attempts from about 12,200 distinct systems inside Comcast's
cable network alone.  Add Verizon and PacBell and all the other cable/DSL
providers (and for good measure, the dialups) and you'll have some idea
about how enormous this problem is.

Windows + incompetent/negligent broadband ISPs = happy spammers.

---Rsk


------ End of Forwarded Message

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