Malware


NEWS 
  • Dissecting a PHP web server rootkit

    September 7, 2026

    SophosLabs recently acquired a Linux implant associated with compromised BIG-IP Access Policy Management (APM) environments that use Apache and PHP components. The malware demonstrates advanced techniques including custom ELF loading, function hooking, and runtime code patching to evade detection while maintaining persistent access through hidden web shells. The implant delivers a familiar outcome – on-demand server‑side ...

  • Angry Birds: Toy Ghouls’ new toys

    September 4, 2026

    Kaspersky continue tracking the activity of Toy Ghouls (also known as Bearlyfy, Laboo.boo, and Feral Wolf), a financially motivated group that has been targeting Russian organizations since 2025. The attackers initially relied exclusively on tools pulled from public GitHub repositories along with leaked Babuk and LockBit ransomware builders, later shifting to their own custom ransomware, GenieLocker. In ...

  • Mirage Kitten targeting aviation and FinTech sectors across the Middle East and Africa with a new malware set

    September 1, 2026

    While monitoring Mirage Kitten activity, Kaspersky researchers uncovered a previously undocumented malware family that we dubbed NodeRabbit. The researchers identified the first sample on a system in Afghanistan. Further threat hunting revealed two additional, more advanced, variants: one on a system in Egypt and another on a system in Ethiopia. NodeRabbit is a cross-platform remote access ...

  • ValleyRAT masquerading as adware

    August 31, 2026

    Attackers typically try to pass off malware as legitimate applications or as potentially unwanted programs that users deliberately search for and download, such as cheats or cracks. They often rely on ad and affiliate networks to deliver their creations to victims’ devices. This post examines a less conventional case: a well-known backdoor distributed under the ...

  • TerminalFix campaign deploys a reverse tunnel through multistage intrusion

    August 28, 2026

    Microsoft Threat Intelligence has observed a TerminalFix campaign, a variant of ClickFix, targeting organizations across multiple industries. The campaign uses compromised websites to display a fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA verification overlay that tricks users into copying and executing a malicious PowerShell command. While traditional ClickFix campaigns direct victims to the Windows Run dialog, TerminalFix campaigns apply ...

  • The invisible passenger in your car

    August 21, 2026

    While monitoring Android threats in June 2026, Kaspersky discovered a new piece of Android malware. What struck the researchers as unusual was that it installed like an ordinary user app yet made no attempt to disguise itself as legitimate software: it had no user interface at all. This led us to suspect the app might ...

  • ChainDrop worm crawls into npm supply chain, evades standard defenses

    August 15, 2026

    A new variant of the Shai-Hulud npm worm has poisoned hundreds of packages while adding propagation techniques that can leave little trace in the corresponding source repositories. In Frank Herbert’s Dune, Shai-Hulud was the name of the giant self-sustaining desert sandworms that moved silently beneath the surface of the planet Arrakis. So it made sense that when ...

  • APT group HoneyMyte upgrades CoolClient

    August 14, 2026

    CoolClient is a backdoor family attributed to the HoneyMyte APT group (also known as Mustang Panda) that has been used in their cyber-espionage campaigns targeting organizations across Asia and Russia. It supports such capabilities as keylogging, clipboard theft, credential harvesting, file management, system reconnaissance, and plugin-based extensions. Since its first public disclosure by Sophos in 2022 and subsequent ...

  • New Android malware lets criminals use your bank card in real time

    August 13, 2026

    Researchers at Group-IB have discovered a new NFC relay malware family, purpose-built to capture live card data via NFC and forward it in real time to attackers. They dubbed it “WindRelay.” NFC (Near Field Communication) is wireless technology that allows devices such as smartphones, payment cards, and payment terminals to communicate when they’re very close together. So, ...

  • Armored Likho expands its cyber-espionage toolkit

    August 13, 2026

    In May 2026, Kaspersky researches discovered a new cyber-espionage campaign by the Armored Likho group, also known as Eagle Werewolf, that targets private individuals and organizations across various industries in Russia, including major corporations, the public sector, IT, and education. The attackers used a fake app as bait that mimics a service for donations. However, ...