vSkimmer

Posted: March 22, 2013

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Threat Level:	7/10
Infected PCs:	45

First Seen:	March 22, 2013
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

Vskimmer is a spyware program that steals financial transaction-based information. Unlike a typical banking Trojan, Vskimmer avoids targeting personal computers; instead, Vskimmer targets computers that are used in PoS (Point-of-Sale) services for various businesses. Vskimmer also is capable of infecting peripheral devices and, if necessary, storing stolen information on them until they can be uploaded to a computer with online access. Because Vskimmer infections primarily are a concern for businesses, Spywareremove.com malware researchers recommend that Windows-using business owners keep track of all computer usage and be certain that suitable security measures are employed. Since Vskimmer places emphasis on concealing its components, an appropriately advanced anti-malware program should spearhead any efforts at removing Vskimmer.

Vskimmer: Running Its Fingers Over the Cards of Your Customers

Vskimmer, like many financial-based Trojans, is sold to other criminals as a product for generating illegal revenue. As a result, campaigns involving Vskimmer may differ in their targets or infection methods, but Vskimmer's function should remain consistent from one infection to the next one. When it comes to spyware programs that target businesses, Spywareremove.com malware researchers usually warn of e-mail-based infection vectors, but Vskimmer appears to have a second card up to its sleeve: the ability to infect any USB drives.

Besides allowing Vskimmer to travel from one computer to another one according to the usage of the USB device, this function also lets Vskimmer carry its stolen data with it. This allows Vskimmer to steal information from computers that don't have any form of online connectivity and then upload the stolen information through a second computer that does have an Internet connection.

Vskimmer also bears a significant resemblance to a previous PoS spyware program known as Dexter and may be an updated version of that PC threat. Besides stealing basic system information, Vskimmer also snatches up primary account numbers, expiration dates and service codes for any credit cards that are processed by any accessible card readers.

Slapping Vskimmer Away from Your Livelihood

One of the functions that Vskimmer has in common with other types of spyware is its hiding mechanism: Vskimmer disguises itself as svchost.exe (a normal part of Windows), and also launches automatically through a basic Registry exploit. Spywareremove.com malware experts can't find any visible symptoms that are associated with Vskimmer, and anti-malware software should be relied upon for detecting Vskimmer, as well as removing Vskimmer from any infected computers and/or peripheral devices.

However, Spywareremove.com malware researchers also must stress that, even after Vskimmer is removed, the disinfection process can't retroactively prevent already-uploaded data from being stolen. As long as Vskimmer is capable of accessing a computer that has an Internet connection, your customers will remain in danger of having their credit card details abused. Therefore, you should issue appropriate warnings to your clientele as a preventative measure against future problems.

Technical Details

File System Modifications

Tutorials: If you wish to learn how to remove malware components manually, you can read the tutorials on how to find malware, kill unwanted processes, remove malicious DLLs and delete other harmful files. Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.

The following files were created in the system:

file.exe

File name: file.exe
Size: 295.89 KB (295892 bytes)
MD5: 1075322594dd96e10d28bd5ec502f271
Detection count: 62
File type: Executable File
Mime Type: unknown/exe
Group: Malware file
Last Updated: March 27, 2013

dumz.log

File name: dumz.log
Mime Type: unknown/log
Group: Malware file