DDoS Capability Added to Necurs

The Necurs malware is the world’s largest spam botnet that has been responsible for the distribution of significant spam campaigns.

Threat ID:: CC-1227
Category:: DOS, Botnet
Threat Severity:: Low
Threat Vector:
Published:: 2 March 2017 12:00 AM

Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

This content has been archived

This article no longer conforms to NHS Digital's standards for cyber alerts, and may contain outdated or inaccurate information. Use of this information contained in this page is at your own risk

Summary

The Necurs malware is the world’s largest spam botnet that has been responsible for the distribution of significant spam campaigns.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

Windows All Versions

Threat details

Last year however, it was identified that the botnet gained a DDoS capability which was added to its profile.

Necurs is a modular piece of malware which allows different modules to be added in order to increase its capabilities. In this scenario, Necurs has added a DDoS module to its malware. The module was identified in September 2016 with a timestamp indicating that it was added to the malware in August 2016. There are no indications that the botnet has been used for a DDoS attack since it was added last year.

The Necurs botnet currently has over 1 million compromised Windows based PC’s and is continuing to grow. With the malware now having DDoS capabilities and having this number of bots, it would be able to produce a very strong attack.

Remediation steps

Type	Step
	Consider the use of a third party DDoS mitigation tool. Review current DDoS mitigation tools with a view to assessing whether they are currently fit for purpose. Have a well-established DDoS playbook to call upon in the event of an incident. Have appropriately skilled personnel to be called upon to ensure the best level of protection and mitigation.

Last edited: 17 February 2020 11:29 am