14 DAY TRIAL // Security company TrapX Security warns that a number of Windows XP devices have been infected to spread malware and help cybercriminals steal documents and other sensitive data.
TrapX says that malware was injected into terminal scanners running Windows XP Embedded belonging to a Chinese manufacturer, with the infection then being used to send scanned data, such as origin, destination, contents, value, to, and from details, through an established comprehensive command and control connection (CnC) to a Chinese botnet that was terminated at the Lanxiang Vocational School located in the “China Unicom Shandong province network.”
The malware, which is called “Zombie Zero,” appears to be exploiting Windows XP systems and is triggered once the scanners are connected to a wireless network.
“The problem with legacy security technologies is that they are not able to adapt to defend against emerging threats in real-time,” said David Monahan, research director at Enterprise Management Associates. “Today’s threat actors are smarter than ever morphing their attacks multiple times to achieve the goal of undermining existing security defenses. The next generation of security solutions must be just as adaptable to counter these modern threats.”
This security issue isn't necessarily tracked down to Windows XP, but there's no doubt that the old operating system can be easier exploited by cybercriminals and those who are trying to establish large malware networks.
Microsoft has been warning about the same thing for months, explaining that without security patches and fixes, it's all just a matter of months until someone finds a vulnerability in the operating system, which can be then used to infect a specific computer and access its data.
“While it's true that you can keep using your PC with Windows XP after support ends, we don’t recommend it. For starters, it’ll become five times more vulnerable to security risks and viruses, which means you could get hacked and have your personal information stolen,” Redmond warned.
And despite all these risks, 25 percent of the desktop computers worldwide are still running Windows XP, with users claiming that their operating systems still work just fine despite end of support.
Of course, security risks are getting bigger and this new malware report is living proof that XP is no longer an operating system that's safe to use, no matter if we're talking about consumers, OEMs, or business users.
It remains to be seen, however, how many users would actually decide to upgrade once more cases of such exploits emerge.