cnet.comAlong with keyloggers that track what you type, now we have to worry about malicious software that listens in on our voice over Internet Protocol conversations.
A Symantec security blog on Thursday disclosed a new Trojan horse, Tojan.Peskyspy "that records VoIP communications, specifically targeting Skype." The posting, based on analysis from Symantec's Karthik Selvaraj, pointed out that "its existence isn't due to any problems with Skype itself" but that Skype may have been targeted "simply because it has such a large install base."
Gerry Egan, Symantec's director of security response, says the Trojan is capable of "hooking...through some Windows APIs into some audio streams" that "can be intercepted, turned into MP3 files, and then sent over a remote channel to a remote electronic eavesdropper."
A PC can be infected through the usual channels for malware, including an executable file in an e-mail you click on and a "drive by download" that's automatically triggered when you visit an infected Web site. The most recent trend, Egan said, "is a shift toward socially engineered attacks like a fake video site."
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