Debenham Decl Part 1.Pdf
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I, Mark Debenham, declare as follows: 1. I am a Senior Manager of Investigations in the Digital Crimes Unit of Plaintiff Microsoft Corp.’s (“Microsoft”) Legal and Corporate Affairs group. I make this declaration in support of Plaintiffs’ Application For An Emergency Temporary Restraining Order, Seizure Order And Order To Show Cause Re Preliminary Injunction. I make this declaration of my own personal knowledge and, if called as a witness, I could and would testify competently to the truth of the matters set forth herein. 2. In my role at Microsoft, I assess technology security threats to Microsoft and the impact of such threats on Microsoft’s business. Prior to my current role, I worked as a security engineer in Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing group, dealing with the discovery, remediation and mitigation of Internet and software security vulnerabilities. Among my responsibilities were investigating targeted attacks and driving the establishment of Microsoft Security Response Center’s response to online service vulnerabilities. Before joining Microsoft, I worked for Verizon Business as a Senior Network Security Specialist performing security assessments as part of its network security professional services team for clients ranging from healthcare and educational establishments to aerospace companies. 3. I have conducted an investigation of the structure and functions of three interrelated botnet architectures called “Zeus,” “Ice-IX,” and “SpyEye,” as well as the activities carried out through these botnets, and an assessment of the impact on Microsoft’s business and on users of the Internet. For simplicity, throughout this declaration, these interrelated architectures, each of which incorporates the “Zeus” code, are collectively referred to as the “Zeus Botnets.” The Zeus Botnets have caused, and continue to cause, extreme damage to Microsoft and other parties which, if allowed to continue, will be compounded as the case proceeds. BOTNETS IN GENERAL 4. A botnet is a network made up of end-user computers connected to the Internet that have been infected with a certain type of malicious software (“malware” or a “Trojan”) that 2 places them under the control of the individuals or organizations who utilize the infected end- user computers to conduct illegal activity. A botnet network may be comprised of as few as hundreds or as many as tens of thousands or millions of infected end-user computers. Once a large-scale botnet has been created, its massive infrastructure can be used by the botnet operators to engage in malicious activity—such as stealing financial credentials, stealing personal identification information, stealing confidential data, sending spam email or anonymously carrying out other technical activities or attacks. THE STRUCTURE OF THE ZEUS BOTNETS 5. The botnets at issue in this case—the “Zeus Botnets”—are credential stealing botnets. The primary aim of these botnets is to infect end-user computers in order to (1) steal credentials for online accounts, such as account login information for Microsoft or other websites, or financial and banking credentials, from the owners or users of those computers, (2) access the victims’ online accounts with the stolen credentials, and (3) transfer information or funds from the victims’ accounts to accounts or computers controlled by the Defendants. Defendants and the Zeus Botnets cause extreme injury to individuals, companies, and governments alike. For example, attached as Exhibit 1 is a true and correct copy of a letter to Microsoft from the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General of the government of the United Kingdom, detailing the injury caused by the Zeus Botnets to UK government institutions. 6. I have carried out an examination of the “Zeus,” “Ice-IX,” and “SpyEye” code found on infected end-user computers that are part of these botnets. I have researched the command and control infrastructure of the “Zeus,” “Ice-IX,” and “SpyEye” botnets. I have researched the infrastructure used to propagate the “Zeus,” “Ice-IX” and “SpyEye” botnets. I have also reviewed literature by other Internet security researchers regarding the code, architecture and features of these botnets, including the command and control servers, infected end-user computers that are part of the botnet and infrastructure used to disseminate botnet code. Based on this analysis, I reach the following conclusions regarding the origins of and 3 relationships between the “Zeus,” “Ice-IX,” and “SpyEye” code and the technical architecture of this infrastructure. A. The Defendants Who Created The Malicious “Zeus,” “Ice-IX” And “SpyEye” Software Have Leveraged Each Others Work To Create, Distribute And Operate The Zeus Botnets 7. The Zeus, Ice-IX and SpyEye code is offered by Defendants as “builder kits” that allow other would-be cyber criminals to easily setup, operate, maintain, and propagate botnets to infect end-user computers, carry out theft of online credentials for Microsoft or financial institution websites, engage in financial theft, engage in identity theft, send spam email or engage in other malicious activities. The Defendants offer the kits for sale on “underground” cybercrime forums on the Internet. The simplest versions of the malicious software described below are readily available for purchase in underground forums for $700 or more. Sophisticated versions with more robust features, support and sometimes source code access, are typically offered only to smaller, trusted group of clients and can cost approximately $15,000 or more. The kits typically contain a builder that can generate a botnet “executable,” configuration files, and web server files (e.g., script files that enable the website to be more interactive with the user, images, or templates to provide data management functionality) for use as the command and control server. 8. As set forth below, the Defendant creators and sellers of the interrelated “Zeus,” “Ice-IX” and “SpyEye” malicious code, which form the basis of the Zeus Botnets, are individuals known on the Internet as “Slavik,” “Monstr,” “Harderman,” “Gribodemon” and “nvidiag.” Over a period, beginning in approximately 2007, from the evidence I have reviewed, I conclude that these individuals have engaged in multiple acts to create, distribute, encourage and operate the Zeus Botnets in a continuous manner, leveraging each others’ work and often cooperating significantly to improve that code in the newer Zeus, Ice-IX and SpyEye software. 9. From the interrelated nature of the code and the operation of the code directed at intruding into computers of Microsoft’s customers, stealing their account credentials for online accounts, such as account login information for Microsoft services or other websites, or financial 4 and banking credentials, and by sending spam email propagating the code both from these victim computers and to users of Microsoft’s email services, I conclude that the purpose of the botnet code, the Zeus Botnets and the Defendants’ operation is to steal account credentials, personal identification information, steal funds and to further propagate the botnet infrastructure to do so. I conclude from these same facts, upon information and belief, that the Defendants must have known and intended that the botnet code, the Zeus Botnets and Defendants’ operation was to defraud end-user and corporate victims of the Zeus Botnets, by means of fraudulent pretenses and representations transmitted over the Internet, as further described below. As further described below, Microsoft has been directly injured in its business and property by these Defendants’ acts and their coordinated pattern of acts. 10. From the pricing of the code sold by these Defendants who have created the Zeus Botnets, and the scale of infected computers in the Zeus Botnets, as further discussed below, I conclude that these Defendant creators of the botnet code have obtained payment in a given year of $1,000 or more for such botnet code. 11. The sale and operation of the botnet code and the Zeus Botnets by these Defendants takes place on the Internet, including acts carried out in interstate and international communications and transmissions on and through the Internet. Zeus Botnet Code 12. The creator of the “Zeus” botnet code is a currently unidentified individual defendant, John Doe 1, who goes by the online nickname/handles “Slavik” or “Monstr.” John Doe 1 has also gone by the nicknames “IOO” and “Nu11.” Attached as Exhibit 5 is a true and correct copy of a report identifying the individual known as “Slavik” and “Monstr” as the author of the malicious Zeus botnet code. Attached as Exhibit 6 is a true and correct copy of an Internet forum discussing the Zeus botnet code, and identifying individuals know as “Slavik” and “Monstr” as the author. My investigation uncovered evidence that John Doe 1 may be contacted at messaging address [email protected]. 13. The “Zeus” botnet code was first identified by security researchers in 2007 when 5 reports surfaced that it was used to steal information from various organizations. From 2009 forward, instances of computers infected by the malicious Zeus software became more widespread. 14. In approximately November 2010, researchers began detecting a new version of Zeus called Zeus Version 2.1. This version of Zeus contained much of the same code as Version 2.0.8.9, but included further features designed to counter attempts to analyze or disable the botnet. For example, Version 2.1 includes a mechanism that verifies the digital signature on all of the botnet files and the data that it downloads, and further stores most of the botnet code’s strings in encoded form. The purpose of these features is likely to prevent competitors or security professionals from introducing configuration files into the botnet infrastructure in order to disable it. By spring 2011, a Zeus version 2.1.0.10 was being detected with more frequency and in June 2011 there was a notable peak in attacks carried out through Zeus 2.1.0.10 computers. While there were a number of variants of Zeus 2.1.0.10, each had an identical list of triggers, indicating a single operations team.