Java-based malware hits Windows, Mac and Linux

Kaspersky Lab researchers have recently analysed a piece of malware that works well on all three of the most popular computer operating systems – the only thing that it needs to compromise targeted computers is for them to run a flawed version of Java.

The Trojan is written wholly in Java, and exploits an unspecified vulnerability (CVE-2013-2465) in the JRE component in Oracle Java SE 7 Update 21 and earlier, 6 Update 45 and earlier, and 5.0 Update 45 and earlier.

Once the malware is launched, it copies itself into the user’s home directory and sets itself to run every time the system is booted. It then contacts the botmasters’ IRC server via the IRC protocol, and identifies itself via a unique identifier it generated.

The malware’s main reason of existence is to make the infected machine flood specified IP addresses with requests when ordered to via a predefined IRC channel. The botmasters simply have to define the address of the computer to be attacked, the port number, the duration of the attack, and the number of threads to be used in it.

At the time of analysis, the botnet formed by machines “zombified” by this particular Trojan was targeting a bulk email service.