Exploring a New KimJongRAT Stealer Variant and Its PowerShell Implementation


This article provides a comprehensive analysis of two new variants of the KimJongRAT stealer.

Palo Alto Unit 42 combine new research findings with existing knowledge to provide a comprehensive resource for understanding and combating these new KimJongRAT variants. The KimJongRAT stealer was first described in 2013 by the Malware.lu CERT. Palo Alto researchers documented another variant of this family in 2019. One of the new variants uses a Portable Executable (PE) file and the other uses a PowerShell implementation. The PE and PowerShell variants are both initiated by clicking a Windows shortcut (LNK) file that downloads a dropper file from an attacker-controlled content delivery network (CDN) account.

Read more…
Source: Palo Alto Unit 42


Sign up for our Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.


Related:

  • Notes of cyber inspector: three clusters of threat in cyberspace

    September 10, 2025

    Hacktivism and geopolitically motivated APT groups have become a significant threat to many regions of the world in recent years, damaging infrastructure and important functions of government, business, and society. In late 2022 Kaspersky predicted that the involvement of hacktivist groups in all major geopolitical conflicts from now on will only increase and this is what ...

  • Unmasking The Gentlemen Ransomware: Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures Revealed

    September 9, 2025

    In August 2025, Trend Micro investigated a new ransomware campaign orchestrated by The Gentlemen, an emerging and previously undocumented threat group. This threat actor quickly established itself within the threat landscape by demonstrating advanced capabilities through their systematic compromise of enterprise environments. By adapting their tools mid-campaign—shifting from generic anti-AV utilities to highly targeted, specific variants—the ...

  • UK: Jeremy Clarkson’s Cotswolds pub targeted in cyber attack

    September 7, 2025

    Jeremy Clarkson’s pub has become the latest victim of cyber-criminals who managed to steal £27,000 from the establishment. The Farmer’s Dog fell prey to hackers who employed sophisticated methods to infiltrate the accounts of the Cotswolds venue during a recent digital assault. The criminals made off with the substantial sum in an attack reminiscent of those ...

  • Columbia University data breach hits 870,000 people

    September 6, 2025

    Columbia University recently confirmed a major cyberattack that compromised personal, financial, and health-related information tied to students, applicants, and employees. The victims include current and former students, employees, and applicants. Notifications to affected individuals began on August 7 and are continuing on a rolling basis. Columbia, one of the oldest Ivy League universities, discovered the breach ...

  • CMS Sitecore patches critical zero-day flaw

    September 5, 2025

    Popular CMS platform Sitecore has patched a critical zero-day vulnerability found to be being abused in cyberattacks. Security researchers from Mandiant observed threat actors exploiting a zero-day flaw to deploy malware, as well as other legitimate software. The flaw stemmed from the use of sample ASP.NET machine keys published in old deployment guides (pre-2017), and is ...

  • Range Rover and Jaguar drivers face lengthy repair delays after cyber attack crippled garages

    September 4, 2025

    More than a million Range Rover and Jaguar drivers could face huge delays in getting their motors repaired after a devastating cyber-attack crippled Jaguar Land Rover. Bosses at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) were forced to scramble on Sunday, hastily shutting down global computer systems to protect sensitive information. Efforts are still ongoing to reboot the company’s ...