Researchers discover "indestructible" botnet - CBS News

(CBS) - Fear! A "practically indestructible" botnet is spreading via rogue websites that offer pornography, pirated content and file storage.

The botnet software that security researchers at Kapersky Labs found "uses a range of techniques to remain undetected, making it 'practically indestructible,'" according to NewScientist. That means if a computer is infected by this software, called "TDL-4," it falls under the control of the botnet's criminal owners.

Yikes! Not only can they use this power to flood folks with spam, they can also commit more serious online attacks.

"TDL-4 gets its name by being the fourth generation of the botnet. In 2008, the original TDL appeared," CNET reports. "It has been altered over the last several years. With TDL-4, Kaspersky has found, the malware creators have drastically improved the botnet over its predecessors."

"The malware writers extended the program functionality, changed the algorithm used to encrypt the communication protocol between bots and the botnet command and control servers, and attempted to ensure they had access to infected computers even in cases where the botnet control centers are shut down," Kaspersky wrote on his SecureList blog this week. "The owners of TDL are essentially trying to create an 'indestructible' botnet that is protected against attacks, competitors, and antivirus companies."

The website operators where this botnet is being expanded are getting between $20 and $200 for every 1,000 machines infected from the criminals behind TDL-4, says Kapersky Labs.

At the moment, more than 4.5 million computers running Windows have been infected by TDL-4, reports NewScientist. Kapersky says 28 percent are in the U.S., but the U.K., Italy, France and many other countries are also infected.

And get this - infected-computer owners probably don't know! The malware can hide itself from anti-virus programs and bypass Windows security after it installs itself in a computer.