Webroot Discovers BIOS Rootkit
Security software company Webroot says a BIOS rootkit has been found in the wild.
Called Mebromi, the malware is reminiscent of the IceLord proof of concept BIOS rootkit in 2007, was a late 1990s virus that was able to erase the motherboard software. This new rootkit is a different caliber as it is appears to be one of the most persistent malware programs we have heard so far.
According to Webroot, Mebromi targets Award BIOS and attaches itself to it so it can infect a client computer over and over again. The malware then infects the master boot record to be able to infect winlogon.exe or winnt.exe to be able to use Windows to download additional malware. There is no easy way to get rid of Mebromi at this time as traditional anti-virus software won't reach down to the BIOS level.
Webroot said that the rootkit is targeting Chinese users and seems to be modeled closely after IceLord, which was demonstrated in 2007. The company stated that "storing the malicious code inside the BIOS ROM could actually become more than just a problem for security software, given the fact that even if an antivirus detects and cleans the MBR infection, it will be restored at the next system startup when the malicious BIOS payload would overwrite the MBR code again."
Webroot's Marco Giuliani noted that "developing an antivirus utility able to clean the BIOS code is a challenge, because it needs to be totally error-proof, to avoid rendering the system unbootable at all." He added: "The job of handling with such specific system codes should be left to the developers of the specific motherboard model, who release BIOS updates along with specific tool to update the BIOS code."
+over 9000. No antivirus will help you if you're stupid and careless.
Webroot uses tackle!
Webroot uses growl!
Webroot uses tackle!
BIOS rootkit faints..
+over 9000. No antivirus will help you if you're stupid and careless.
Blah blah blah blah blah... flash the BIOS, format the hard drive, problem solved... /facepalm
Webroot uses tackle!
Webroot uses growl!
Webroot uses tackle!
BIOS rootkit faints..
I don't really think the issue should be considered that simple. Can you imagine how long it would take you to find out that you had an infected BIOS? And if there's one thing I don't like to mess with on my PC it's the BIOS. BIOSes are perfect example of: if it ain't broke don't fix it". If I had an infected BIOS it would prbably be one of the last places I would look. Also: even though this virus is targeted towards the Chinese any person who has a virus on his/her computer affects us all.
In the old days the solution was to pull the BIOS ROM, reprogram it on a PROM burner with a clean BIOS copy, clear the CMOS, then reinstall the ROM. Not so easy to do on today's systems.
Why not? You should be flashing the bios from either a bootable CD, thumbdrive or floppy. Windows shouldn't be in the way just for such reasons and more. Bios FLash - 5 minutes, tops.
If you stay away from sketchy sites and know what you are doing, you don't need antivirus.
...same with bootable USB Drives and any other device that the BIOS has boot-control over?
In the old days the solution was to pull the BIOS ROM, reprogram it on a PROM burner with a clean BIOS copy, clear the CMOS, then reinstall the ROM. Not so easy to do on today's systems.
I knew someone is gonna say that!
1) The quote I listed in my original post said
I was referring to that (HDD format after cleaned BIOS = rootkit pwnd)
2) You can also flash the BIOS on boot
3) Try GETTING that rootkit... it's not like it's running around the internets and storms every computer it sees... I actually WANT to find and isolate it, then test (use old Celeron 500 MHz rig with XP for that) - add it to my virus zoo after that, if it's functional
4) It's possible to infect the system through the CMOS, maybe. It's also possible to break your PC with a hammer, short the motherboard or throw it out of the window, but the article doesn't say that this particular rootkit does any of these things apart from infecting winlogon.exe, wininit.exe and BIOS. And CMOS can always be reset.
This speculation can go on, but you catch my drift... nothing is as scary and dangerous as they describe it. Just know what you're doing, don't panic, and you'll always triumph over any BS malware.
...same with bootable USB Drives and any other device that the BIOS has boot-control over?
It probably can, but I think the mobo makers aren't that stupid and planned for it, too. However, in this case I will flash from OS, then take out the HDD and flash on boot again. If, however, the rootkit screwed up the system so much that you cannot boot ANYTHING, I applaud the malware writer and wonder why didn't he just fry my hardware instead of leaving me an easy route out: replace BIOS chip.
Any college level firewall and network security class is worth the money.
modern mobos allow flashing through windows using specially crafted software, im guessing it doesn't take someone with exceptional talent to reverse engineer one of these. The role of the bios is to enable the system to boot into the OS, once the OS is up and running the BIOS literally hands over control of the system to the OS