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November 07th, 2006
Wikipedia targeted by malware writers
Wikipedia has not yet seen the need to implement a virus-scanning function, analysts say, but the recent incident with malicious software planted on Wikipedia pages might force the company to put in automatic virus checks, much like Yahoo and Hotmail have done with their free Web-based e-mail services.
Malware writers have used a Wikipedia article to lead users to a booby-trapped page that contained malicious code designed to plant viruses on the computers of unsuspecting users.
The hackers created a Wikipedia page that offered a Windows security update for a version of the Lovesan/W32.Blaster worm, and included a link to an external site that was labeled with the name ‘wikipedia-download.org.’
The malware writers reportedly used the archive storage function on Wikipedia to plant the malicious code on multiple pages. The attackers directed users to those archived pages through e-mails that used the Wikipedia logo, and claimed that the encyclopedia site had been asked by Microsoft to help with worm patches.
Wikipedia has noted that all archived versions of the page have been deleted.
The malware situation at Wikipedia is not surprising, said Gartner analyst Peter Firstbrook, who pointed to new concerns over ‘toxic blogs’ that contain embedded malware.
‘This is just a variant of what we've been seeing with social-networking sites and blogs,’ he said. ‘Any time you have a situation where people can upload content, you'll run the danger of having bad people trying to get malicious code into the mix.’
Sites like Wikipedia and MySpace are particularly attractive, he added, because they let malware writers put up code for free. Traditionally, the writers have had to register a domain, host it on their own servers, and use social engineering to draw people to the bogus site.
But now, not only can they use a community-driven site for their nefarious purposes, but also they can be untraceable in those activities, Firstbrook noted.
As malware continues to be a concern, it is likely that Wikipedia and other sites will have to change their policies - or at least their practices - when it comes to content uploads.
Instead of giving users free rein to upload content that is checked later for accuracy or appropriateness, sites like Wikipedia and MySpace might have to implement some kind of virus-scanning capability, he noted. This would probably affect site performance and speed, as well as cost a significant amount of money, but it might be necessary if more malware is uploaded.
‘In general, Web 2.0 will bring more of these concerns as we move toward a model where people can contribute to Web content,’ Firstbrook said. ‘In every community there are bad guys, and the Web is no different.’
Source: NewsFactor
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