A new Chrome browser botnet is being used by hackers to steal sensitive user data.
The botnet titled ‘Cloud9′ is not only capable of logging keystrokes, but it can also distribute ads and malicious code.
Cloud9 acts as a remote access trojan (RAT) for both Chrome and Microsoft Edge to gain full access and remote control on a user’s system, including mouse and keyboard control, file access, and network resource access.
Hackers can use Cloud9 to access users’ login credentials and launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
This puts users, who try to download content from an unofficial source, at risk.
Cloud9 infection rates have been detected in multiple regions worldwide, confirmed security researchers at Zimperium.
Layer 7, which is the application layer of the OSI model of the internet, provides functionalities and services that user-facing software applications use to present data.
“Layer 7 attacks are usually very hard to detect because the TCP connection looks very similar to legitimate requests,” Zimperium stated. “The developer is likely using this botnet to provide a service to perform DDoS.”
To protect themselves from DDoS attacks, users need to take some basic measures like keeping stronger passwords, antivirus programs, firewalls, and ensuring that they keep softwares and drivers up to date. Moreover, they need to have two-factor authentication whenever possible.
