Rootkit particularly more dangerous than many other threats

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND – July 5, 2011 – BitDefender, an award-winning provider of innovative Internet security solutions has released a free removal tool for TDL4, a rootkit-based e-threat that uses custom techniques to stay absolutely hidden after it has successfully infected your system.

The TDL4 e-threat is a tool that has been used for the purposes of online crime since 2008, having been steadily developed over this time. It is also one of the few threats of its type able to infect both 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows, which makes it particularly more dangerous.

Once it has successfully infected your computer, TDL4 compromises the operating system’s security and prevents some antivirus solutions from detecting and eliminating the threat. Compromised computers are added to the TDL4 botnet and used for various illegal purposes such as advertising fraud, amongst others.

“We have been monitoring this threat since it first emerged. Whilst it has no direct damaging potential itself, the danger lies in how it is used by other pieces of malware to hide themselves and gain illegal access to PCs,” said Catalin Cosoi, head of BitDefender’s Online Threats Lab. “This threat has the potential to prevent detection and removal by some antivirus solutions. In light of this, it’s a sensible precaution to check your PC and make sure that it hasn’t been infected.”

BitDefender has released a free TDL4 removal tool for 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows. It is now available for download from BitDefender’s Malware City blog: http://www.malwarecity.com/blog/free-removal-tool-for-tdl4-available-now-1106.html

BitDefender has also added detection, removal and disinfection to its antimalware suites, so customers have been protected against this e-threat since its discovery.