SMTP is the key: BPFDoor and AVERAT hitting the network edge


Rapid7 tracked a set of Linux samples that blend into the software and device conventions of the telecom environments they target. The set spans a newly observed BPFDoor variant, a BPF Rekoobe build seen against South Korean targets, a dropper, and six builds of a Linux implant Rapid7 researchers track as AVERAT, deployed against Taiwanese appliances. Additionally, researchers provide source code details of the Rapid7 BPFDoor controller introduced in our April 2026 blog, Stealthy BPFDoor Variants are a Needle That Looks Like Hay.

The chain uses two binaries. A dropper writes a shell script to the appliance’s storage mount and executes it. The script stages both payloads into /sbin under the names ntpdate and udevds, launches them, and deletes each file ten seconds later while the processes continue running. One of those payloads is the dropper itself, re-executing as a resident watchdog, leaving both processes running without an on-disk image.

Read more…
Source:  Rapid7 News


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Over 80 Cisco Products Affected by FragmentSmack DoS Bug

    September 25, 2018

    Cisco is currently looking into its product line to determine which products and services use Linux kernel 3.9 or above, which is vulnerable to the FragmentSmack denial-of-service (DoS) bug. The networking hardware manufacturer already assembled a list of more than 80 products that are affected by the vulnerability. Many of them expect a fix by February ...

  • macOS Mojave Privacy Bypass Flaw Allows Access to Protected Files

    September 24, 2018

    A security researcher shows on Mojave’s release day that Apple’s  latest privacy protection implementations in macOS are not sufficiently strong. In a minute-long clip, Patrick Wardle shows that the security in the dark-themed macOS can be bypassed to reach sensitive user data, such as the information in the address book. Talking to BleepingComputer, Wardle says that he ...

  • Adwind RAT Scurries By AV Software With New DDE Variant

    September 24, 2018

    A newly-discovered spam campaign is spreading the Adwind 3.0 remote-access tool (RAT) – and using a fresh take on the Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) code-injection technique for anti-virus evasion. The spam campaign features two types of droppers that leverage a new variant to the already-known DDE code-injection attack on Microsoft Excel – enabling them to bypass ...

  • New Virobot malware works as ransomware, keylogger, and botnet

    September 21, 2018

    A newly discovered malware strain is a multi-tasking threat that besides working as ransomware and encrypting users’ files, it can also log and steal their keystrokes, and add infected computers to a spam-sending botnet. This new threat is named Virobot and appears to be under development, and comprised of multiple components that allow it to work ...

  • Major Irish utility networks vulnerable to cyber attacks set to have security increased

    September 19, 2018

    Our water supplies, electricity and gas grids and phone networks are all vulnerable to cyber-attacks from tech-terrorists and are about to have their security beefed-up. That is because all of our utilities and essential State services are in some way or another reliant on digital technology, which in turn makes them vulnerable to digital attack. Minister Denis ...

  • Cybercrime: Ransomware remains a ‘key’ malware threat says Europol

    September 18, 2018

    Targeted attacks replace spam campaigns, but Europol’s annual cybercrime report also warns that cryptojacking malware “may overtake ransomware as a future threat”. Ransomware remains the top malware threat to organisations, causing millions of dollars of damage and remaining a potent tool for cyber criminals and nation-state attackers. The rise of highly targeted file-locking malware campaigns and the ...