Vista Zero-Day Exploit For Sale

Snakepit Bit writes "Underground hackers are hawking a zero-day exploit for Windows Vista at $50,000 a pop, according to computer security researchers at Trend Micro. The Windows Vista exploit, which has not been independently verified, was just one of many zero-days available for sale at an auction-style marketplace infiltrated by the anti-virus vendor. Prices for exploits for unpatched code execution flaws are in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. Bots and Trojan downloaders that typically hijack Windows machines for use in botnets were being sold for about $5,000." From the article: "According to [Trend Micro CTO Raimund] Genes, the typical price of a destructive exploit has increased dramatically, driving an underground market that could exceed the value of the legitimate security software business. 'I think the malware industry is making more money than the anti-malware industry,' Genes said."

There's a patch available

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows XP.

Ah...

[JoshJ]

'I think the malware industry is making more money than the anti-malware industry,' Genes said.
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
*salute*

Re:Ah...

[Anonymous Coward]

Next, he'll inform us that the dark side is stronger...

l33t hax0r

[pchan-]

the typical price of a destructive exploit has increased dramatically, driving an underground market that could exceed the value of the legitimate security software business. 'I think the malware industry is making more money than the anti-malware industry,' Genes said."

Sounds like I need to switch jobs. Finally, a job where discovering Windows bugs will pay off instead of just generating more work for me.

What do Linux virii cost?

[k1e0x]

Or are they open source..? ;)

Economy

[rowama]

This is just another example of how M$ is good for the economy. All you anti-capitalist, libertarian nerds can sit down and shup up, now.

Kidding, of course.

Re:Price increasing

[Anonymous Coward]

So it's getting harder? Or is that just wishful thinking?

Not just harder, but longer and thicker, according to the zombie e-mail I receive.

Re:Auctions

[ZPWeeks]

No, it IS the Pentagon's system!

Exploit auction site?

[Anonymous Coward]

"His code pwned Windows even better than he said it would! A++++++!!!!!!!11!!"

Hi, welcome to...

[thrill12]

0-day-bay, your place for new gadgetries in the world of ScRiPtKidDieS GoNE CoMmErCIal !
Today, we have on offer a few jolly nice samples of the finest goods, what do you think of:
* Evil worm 2 - Dr.Evil himself would promote this one, if he were a real person, but alas: this Evil worm 2 does not come with frickin' lasers on its head. Made in China, this worm can eat away the fumbly firewalls of most present day Windows machines !
All that, at a price of just $30.000 !

* Glasnost x-ploit - Oh my, in the Western world we make the x-ploit, but in Russia - where this lovely piece of software was born - they x-ploit you ! Just like in the old days of Gorbatchov, this Glasnost worm certainly opens ... backdoors ! ha ha !
For just the measle amount of $15.000, you could have your very own Glasnost'ed Windows botnet in no time !

Last but not least, we wouldn't want to forget our bestseller, our hitman, our top product in the fine world of Windows Redecorating Software : Yoghurt Trojan !
Not the milk-product, but you could say it's milky white cream covers most Windows PC's pretty well ! It has no aftertaste like some worms, and definitely likes to morph into different appearances ! It can definitely lighten the spirits of whoever is at the controls and includes a lovely "MAD"-button in case some law enforcement officer decides to peak into your operation : no more evidence, because no more Trojaned PC's survive the Mutually Assured Deletion of this king of kings !
All that, for just $50.000, it's a bargain !

Re:Malware

[Anonymous Coward]

Can I buy pot from you?

Re:Auctions

[triso]

Where are these online auctions for this information? Or does that information come with the same spam I get hawking "3 million email addresses for $1000!" I'd love to know what software they use to host such a site. I expect it's probably more secure than the pentagon's systems.

It goes without saying that it probably isn't from Redmond.

Re:Ah...

[Anonymous Coward]

The malware industry doesn't exactly report their numbers,

http://www.microsoft.com/msft/earnings/ [microsoft.com]

keep offices,

Their headquarters is here [google.com]

or publish a trade rag.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/technetmag/ [microsoft.com]

Re:There's a patch available

[gordgekko]

I've never had a Win 2000 machine zombied but my XP machines are all the time.

Congratulations, you may be the most incompetent XP user ever witnessed on Slashdot.