New Trojan Targets Monster.com Users for Identity Theft

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Online job hunters using the Internet to seek out a new career direction should take added precautions if posting information to Monster.com is part of their strategy, according to information uncovered by security software vendor Symantec this week.

Symantec’s researchers have identified a new Trojan being employed to target users of Monster.com for identity theft, according to the company’s security response blog.

The Trojan in question has been dubbed Infostealer.Monstres, and although the exploit has been characterized by Symantec as “very low” risk, the amount of data already collected by the attackers behind the Trojan already is prodigious.

During their investigation, Symantec’s researchers noticed that the Trojan was uploading data to a remote server. When the team accessed the remote server, they found “over 1.6 million entries with personal information belonging to several hundred thousand people,” according to a post made to the security response blog by Symantec’s Amado Hidalgo.

Surprised that such a low-profile Trojan was used to attack so many people, the Symantec team dug around to discover how the data was obtained.

After discovering that connections were only being made to the sub-domains hiring.monster.com and recruiter.monster.com, the researchers concluded that the Trojan “appears to be using the (probably stolen) credentials of a number of recruiters to login to the website and perform searches for resumes of candidates located in certain countries or working in certain fields.”

According to Symantec, the Trojan functions by sending HTTP commands that navigate the Managed Folders section of the site. The Trojan then parses the output from a pop-up window that contains the profiles of the candidates that match the compromised recruiters’ saved searches.

Symantec’s researchers found that a wide range of personal details of the job candidates have been accessed, and then uploaded to the remote server that is controlled by the attackers. The personal details include the name, surname, email address, country, home address, work/mobile/home phone numbers and resume ID, according to the security response blog.

“Such a large database of highly personal information is a spammer’s dream,” Hidalgo wrote. “In fact, we found the Trojan can be instructed to send spam email using a mail template downloadable from the command & control server.”

Symantec has informed Monster.com of the compromised recruiter accounts so that the accounts can be disabled, Hidalgo said. Symantec also suggested that to reduce the risk of identity theft, users should limit the contact information they post on job-hunting sites, and never disclose information such as Social Security numbers, passport or driver’s license numbers, bank account information or other sensitive details.

For more information on the Infostealer.Monstres Trojan, see the Symantec advisory concerning the exploit.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult, Could Face Override

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More