Alureon

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Alureon Mean?

Alureon is a Trojan, rootkit and botnet that is designed specifically to intercept network traffic and extract sensitive and confidential information from it, enabling the attacker to steal information transmitted over a network connection.

Advertisements

Alureon is also known as TDSS and TDL-4.

Techopedia Explains Alureon

Alureon is a Trojan primarily used for data theft and online fraud. In addition to stealing confidential data, Alureon can also corrupt and delete important files on a computer. Furthermore, it can restrict Windows Update and prevent anti-virus software from running. Alureon usually searches for usernames, passwords, credit card information and other confidential information within a network’s traffic.

Alureon mainly affects Microsoft Windows-based computer systems. Typically, Alureon enters a system by being bundled and delivered with a compromised copy of Windows Security Essentials software. Once the software is installed, the Alureon Trojan first takes over the printer spooler service and then changes the master boot record to its preferred routine. Computer systems infected with Alureon were confronted with BSoD and system crashes, specifically when installing security update MS 10-015 on Windows systems.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.