In this post, Unt 42 researchers look at the types of embedded payloads that attackers leverage to abuse Microsoft OneNote files. Our analysis of roughly 6,000 malicious OneNote samples from WildFire reveals that these samples have a phishing-like theme where attackers use one or more images to lure people into clicking or interacting with OneNote files.
The interaction then executes an embedded malicious payload. Since macros have been disabled by default in Office, attackers have turned to leveraging other Microsoft products for embedding malicious payloads. As a result, malicious OneNote files have grown in popularity.
Read more…
Source: Palo Alto Unit 42
Related:
- Hello again, FakeBat: popular loader returns after months-long hiatus
November 8, 2024
The web browser, and search engines in particular, continue to be a popular entry point to deliver malware to users. While Malwarebytes Labs noted a decrease in loaders distributed via malvertising for the past 3 months, today’s example is a reminder that threat actors can quickly switch back to tried and tested methods. After months of ...
- Crooks bank on Microsoft’s search engine to phish customers
November 4, 2024
Malwarebytes Labs researchers identified a new wave of phishing for banking credentials that targets consumers via Microsoft’s search engine. A Bing search query for ‘Keybank login’ currently returns malicious links on the first page, and sometimes as the top search result. Malwarebytes Labs has reported the fraudulent sites to Microsoft already. While Microsoft’s Bing only has ...
- Phish ’n’ Ships Fakes Online Shops to Steal Money and Credit Card Information
October 31, 2024
HUMAN’s Satori Threat Intelligence and Research team recently uncovered and disrupted a sprawling fraud operation centered on fake web shops that abuse digital payment providers to steal consumers’ money and credit card information. The threat, dubbed Phish ’n’ Ships, is made up of hundreds of fake web shops offering in-demand items. The threat actors, whose internal ...
- Loose-lipped neural networks and lazy scammers
October 31, 2024
One topic being actively researched in connection with the breakout of LLMs is capability uplift – when employees with limited experience or resources in some area become able to perform at a much higher level thanks to LLM technology. This is especially important in information security, where cyberattacks are becoming increasingly cost-effective and larger-scale, causing ...
- Lumma/Amadey: fake CAPTCHAs want to know if you’re human
October 29, 2024
Attackers are increasingly distributing malware through a rather unusual method: a fake CAPTCHA as the initial infection vector. Researchers from various companies reported this campaign in August and September. The attackers, primarily targeting gamers, initially delivered the Lumma stealer to victims through websites hosting cracked games. Kaspersky recent research into the adware landscape revealed that this ...
- LinkedIn bots and spear phishers target job seekers
October 23, 2024
Microsoft’s social network for professionals, LinkedIn, is an important platform for job recruiters and seekers alike. It’s also a place where criminals go to find new potential victims. Like other social media platforms, LinkedIn is no stranger to bots attracted to special keywords and hashtags. Think “I was laid off”, “I’m #opentowork” and similar phrases that ...

