Since 2022, Trend Micro researchers have been investigating numerous targeted attacks in the Asia-Pacific region that used the same ELF backdoor.
Most vendors identify this backdoor as a variant of existing malware such as Gh0st RAT or Rekoobe. However, Trend Micro unearthed the truth: this backdoor is not merely a variant of existing malware, but is a new type altogether. The researchers suspect it is being used by Chinese-speaking groups engaged in either espionage or cybercrime. We dubbed this formerly undocumented malware as “Noodle RAT.” Noodle RAT, also known as ANGRYREBEL or Nood RAT, is a relatively simple backdoor confirmed to have both Windows (Win.NOODLERAT) and Linux (Linux.NOODLERAT) versions.
Read more…
Source: Trend Micro
Related:
- Fast, Broad, and Elusive: How Vidar Stealer 2.0 Upgrades Infostealer Capabilities
October 21, 2025
On October 6, 2025, the developer known as “Loadbaks” announced the release of Vidar Stealer v2.0 on underground forums. This new version features a complete transition from C++ to a pure C implementation, allegedly enhancing performance and efficiency. Its release coincides with a decline in activity surrounding the Lumma Stealer, suggesting cybercriminals under its operation ...
- Maverick: a new banking Trojan abusing WhatsApp in a mass-scale distribution
October 15, 2025
A malware campaign was recently detected in Brazil, distributing a malicious LNK file using WhatsApp. It targets mainly Brazilians and uses Portuguese-named URLs. To evade detection, the command-and-control (C2) server verifies each download to ensure it originates from the malware itself. The whole infection chain is complex and fully fileless, and by the end, it will ...
- RondoDox: From Targeting Pwn2Own Vulnerabilities to Shotgunning Exploits
October 9, 2025
The Trend Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) Threat Hunting and Trend Research teams have identified a significant RondoDox botnet campaign that targets a wide range of internet-exposed infrastructure. This campaign consists of over 50 exploits, including unpatched router flaws across over 30 vendors, targeting vulnerabilities found in routers, digital video recorders (DVRs), network video recorders (NVRs), CCTV ...
- Self-Propagating Malware Spreading Via WhatsApp, Targets Brazilian Users
October 3, 2025
Trend Research is currently investigating an aggressive malware campaign that leverages online instant messaging platform WhatsApp as its primary infection vector. Unlike traditional attacks focused on theft or ransomware, this campaign is engineered for speed and propagation, abusing social trust and automation to spread among Windows users. Trend Research analysis identifies the campaign as SORVEPOTEL, and ...
- Confucius Espionage: From Stealer to Backdoor
October 2, 2025
The Confucius group is a long-running cyber-espionage actor operating primarily across South Asia. First identified in 2013, the group is believed to have links to state-sponsored operations in the region. Over the past decade, Confucius has repeatedly targeted government agencies, military organizations, defense contractors, and critical industries—especially in Pakistan—using spear-phishing and malicious documents as initial access ...
- XCSSET evolves again: Analyzing the latest updates to XCSSET’s inventory
September 25, 2025
Microsoft Threat Intelligence has identified yet another XCSSET variant in the wild that introduces further updates and new modules beyond those detailed in our March 2025 blog post. The XCSSET malware is designed to infect Xcode projects, typically used by software developers, and run while an Xcode project is being built. We assess that this mode ...

