Darkhotel Bug Targets Executives Traveling in Asia, Report Says - Bloomberg

Bloomberg, by Denni Hu

Business executives traveling in Asia and elsewhere have become victims of malware called Darkhotel, a bug that targets guests of high-end hotels through their networks, a computer-security firm said.

The bug invades personal devices after tricking users into downloading a fake software update through the invaded hotel’s Wi-Fi or physical network, according to a report from Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab Inc. Darkhotel steals private information such as saved passwords and downloads other more advanced hacking tools, the company said.

More than 90 percent of the malware attacks, first spotted in 2009, have occurred in Asia and Russia, according to the report. Attackers seemed to know the exact times of arrival and departure for their targets, including corporate executives and entrepreneurs, and then waited for these victims to arrive at their hotels and connect to the Web, Kaspersky Lab said. Read more.