The Chinese government is believed to be behind a malware campaign, dubbed “Zombie Zero,” that has been targeting companies in the manufacturing, shipping and logistics markets, according to a report by security research firm TrapX.
TrapX found that the malware was embedded in the Windows XP operating system of scanners at a Chinese supplier's factory.
The scanners were then distributed to seven shipping and logistics companies and one manufacturer where they were to be used to check items being loaded on and off ships onto other forms of transportation.
The purpose of the zero-day attack was to infiltrate the company's ERP servers where the malware can then help steal financial information — and indeed in the attack first noticed by TrapX, the malware targeted servers whose host names contained the word “finance.” The U.S. and China continue to trade accusations of espionage.
