Hosting services under attack

Attackers aim to use webmaster credentials to compromise banking web sites

A new phishing attack is targeting webmasters in an attempt to gain access to site credentials.

According to security firm Trusteer, the attack targets cPanel, a popular management tool for web hosts. The attackers have sent out emails that falsely appear to originate from the hosting firms.

The emails tell the user that due to maintenance activities all FTP credentials must be updated. The message contains a link to a phishing site that asks for log-in information.

Researchers say that the attack is meant as an attempt to harvest FTP logins for webmasters. Once the logins have been collected, the accounts are then accessed and the sites used to host phishing pages targeting users of online banking sites and other financial services.

Trusteer chief technology officer Amit Klein said that the tie-in to bank phishing was of particular interest and could signal a dangerous new trend in the way online fraud operations are run.

"The ability to upload arbitrary content into relatively small and less popular sites may seem uninteresting fraud-wise. However, evidence we have collected over the past few months connects cPanel-driven sites to online banking fraud," said Klein.

"By stealing cPanel login credentials, criminals do not need to use hacking tools to upload content to a web site, and therefore can avoid detection until after they have siphoned funds from consumer and business banking accounts."