First 64-bit Windows rootkit discovered

Posted on Tuesday, August 31 2010 @ 18:24 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck

Net Security reports a new variant of the Alureon rootkit has the questionable honor of being world's first rootkit able to infect 64-bit systems:

Alureon (also known as TDL and Tidserv) has garnered a lot of attention back in February when it was discovered that it was behind the system crashes occurring after infected users tried to update their Windows OS.

It seems that at that point in time, the rootkit was unable bypass the security features that made the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and 7 more secure than their 32-bit counterparts - namely the Kernel Mode Code Signing and Kernel Patch Protection.

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

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