- Buran Ransomware; the Evolution of VegaLocker
November 5, 2019
McAfee’s Advanced Threat Research Team observed how a new ransomware family named ‘Buran’ appeared in May 2019. Buran works as a RaaS model like other ransomware families such as REVil, GandCrab (now defunct), Phobos, etc. The author(s) take 25% of the income earned by affiliates, instead of the 30% – 40%, numbers from notorious malware families ...
- Wizard Spider Upgrades Ryuk Ransomware to Reach Deep into LANs
November 4, 2019
The Ryuk ransomware has added two features to enhance its effectiveness: The ability to target systems that are in “standby” or sleep mode; and the use of Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) pinging to find drives on a company’s LAN. Both are employed after the initial network compromise of a victim organization. Ryuk, which is distributed by ...
- Nemty Ransomware Expands Its Reach, Also Delivered by Trik Botnet
November 4, 2019
The Nemty ransomware (Ransom.Nemty), initially detected in August 2019, has increased its reach by partnering up with the Trik botnet (Trojan.Wortrik), which now delivers Nemty to compromised computers. Trik, also known as Phorpiex, has been around for approximately 10 years. In its early days, the malware self-propagated via removable USB drives, Windows Live Messenger, or Skype ...
- Ransomware hits Spanish companies sparking WannaCry panic
November 4, 2019
Two major Spanish companies have been hit by ransomware today. Both infections occurred on the same day, sparking memories of the WannaCry outbreak. Spain was one of the first countries alongside the UK, where the WannaCry ransomware infections were spotted for the first time back on May 12, 2017. Affected at the time were Spanish newspaper El ...
- Stubborn Malware Targets QNAP NAS Hardware Specifically
November 1, 2019
Top-selling network attached storage devices (NAS) made by QNAP Systems are being singled out by attackers, who have crafted malware specifically designed for the vendor’s hardware. Researchers at the Finland’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-FI) reported the targeted attacks late last month, dubbing the malware QSnatch. Once infected, hackers can access the NAS devices and retrieve all ...
- Threat Spotlight: Neshta File Infector Endures
November 1, 2019
Neshta is an older file infector that is still prevalent in the wild. It was initially observed in 2003 and has been previously associated with BlackPOS malware. It prepends malicious code to infected files. This threat is commonly introduced into an environment through unintentional downloading or by other malware. It infects Windows executable files and ...
- Calypso APT Emerges from the Shadows to Target Governments
October 31, 2019
A newly discovered APT group, dubbed Calypso after a custom malware RAT that it uses, has been targeting state institutions in six different countries since 2016. Government organizations in India (34 percent), Brazil and Kazakhstan (18 percent respectively), Russia and Thailand (12 percent respectively) and Turkey (6 percent) have all been successfully infiltrated at some point, ...
- ICS Attackers Set To Inflict More Damage With Evolving Tactics
October 31, 2019
Future attacks on industrial control system (ICS) networks may inflict even more damage in the long run, according to new research. Analysts expect them to evolve from attacks that have immediate, direct impact to those with multiple stages and attack vectors that are more stealthy. While it remains extraordinarily difficult to mount successful attacks on critical ...
- Xhelper: Persistent Android dropper app infects 45K devices in past 6 months
October 29, 2019
Symantec has observed a surge in detections for a malicious Android application that can hide itself from users, download additional malicious apps, and display advertisements. The app, called Xhelper, is persistent. It is able reinstall itself after users uninstall it and is designed to stay hidden by not appearing on the system’s launcher. The app ...
- Mobile Malware and APT Espionage: Prolific, Pervasive, and Cross-Platform
October 23, 2019
Until now, the public’s exposure to mobile phone malware has been dominated by news about the privately run “greyware” vendors who have made headlines for being purveyors of spyware tools. These commercial smartphone spyware tools reportedly end up in the hands of autocrats who use it to hamper free speech, quash dissent, or worse. Consumers ...