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back to article Trojan taps Google Groups as command network

Hackers have programmed a Trojan that uses Google Groups newsgroups to distribute commands. Trojan distribution via newsgroups has existed for more than a decade, but using newsgroups as a command and control channel is a new innovation. The Grups Trojan itself is quite simple and is only noteworthy for the command and …

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  1. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Nothing is Ever how it seems .....but more usually just as you are led to believe.

    "This, along with the simplified Chinese language of the newsgroup in question, provide evidence that the malware was cooked up in either Taiwan or mainland China." .... Or is being betatested for Eastern use?

    Hell, if I have something hot to sell in Command and Control, where better to sell it and create a fortune than in the Emerging Vibrant East.

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  2. RW

    Usenet newsgroups aren't Google's

    They were around long before Google and afaik Usenet is still in business using NNTP to distribute newsgroups.

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  3. Rasczak
    Thumb Down

    Google Groups Newsgroups ?

    Shirley you mean Usenet newsgroups. Google Groups is just a web page that allows spammi^C^C posting to Usenet through a web page. From what I can see, they just took over the old Deja News archive and added a few things. From reading the write up it looks like this uses Google Groups as it allows you to create your own, effectively internal, groups, just as easy to do by running your own NNTP server, just means they are offsetting the load. Easier to wipe the evidence if running your own server though.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A low risk threat for who?

    I guess the risk increases greatly depending on whether you're Taiwanese and what China's plans are.

    Now that America has practically neutered itself with the cost of two wars (profits mostly into Republican pockets, as far as I can tell) who will protect pacific rim from hostile takeover?

    I guess that depends on whether you consider American style protection better than Chinese.

    There, that should piss off both the Chinese and the Americans.

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