Windows 2003/XP/2000/NT/ME/98/95

Dialer.HBK is a dialer type malware. Dialers usually try to establish phone connections with high rate numbers, significantly increasing the phone bill of the affected user.

Dialer.HBK affects computers that use a modem to connect to the Internet, as the virus modifies the Dial-up network access settings. It changes the telephone number provided by the ISP (Internet Service Provider), which is a local-rate number, to a high-rate number.

Dialer.HBK accesses several websites to download files, which it then runs. These can be any type of file, although they are normally malware.

Dialer.HBK uses the following propagation or distribution methods:

• Exploiting vulnerabilities with the intervention of the user: exploiting vulnerabilities in file formats or applications. To exploit them successfully it needs the intervention of the user: opening files, viewing malicious web pages, reading emails, etc.
• Via Internet, exploiting remote vulnerabilities: attacking random IP addresses, in which it tries to insert a copy of itself by exploiting one or more vulnerabilities.

Dialer.HBK is easy to recognize, as it shows the following symptoms:

• It creates shortcuts in the Windows Desktop.