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:

  • IoT Flaw Allows Hijacking of Connected Construction Cranes

    October 30, 2018

    An attacker can send spoofed commands to the crane’s controller. A connected construction crane, from Telecrane, has a vulnerability that would allow cyberattackers to intercept its communications and take the equipment over. The internet of things (IoT) continues to add new types of objects to its footprint, as industries start leveraging connectivity to increase productivity, accuracy and ...

  • Dead Web Apps Haunt 70 Percent of FT 500 Firms

    October 30, 2018

    Abandoned web applications used by FT 500 Global Companies have exploitable flaws and weaknesses. A study of abandoned websites owned by leading global corporations hammers home the point that old web applications need to be properly mitigated or retired. Otherwise, these resources often haunt a firm long after they have been forgotten. Researchers at High-Tech Bridge used ...

  • New Privilege Escalation Flaw Affects Most Linux Distributions

    October 26, 2018

    An Indian security researcher has discovered a highly critical flaw in X.Org Server package that impacts OpenBSD and most Linux distributions, including Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat, and Fedora. Xorg X server is a popular open-source implementation of the X11 system (display server) that offers a graphical environment to a wider range of hardware and OS platforms. It ...

  • Unusual Remote Execution Bug in Cisco WebEx Discovered by Researchers

    October 25, 2018

    While remote code execution vulnerabilities are pretty common, a new one discovered in Cisco’s WebEx online and video collaboration software is definitely different. That is because users can remotely execute commands through a component of the WebEx client even when WebEx does not listen for remote connections. Remote code execution vulnerabilities are bugs that allow a users ...

  • StrongPity APT Changes Tactics to Stay Stealthy

    October 23, 2018

    After being exposed, the APT made minor adjustments in their tactics to stay off the security radar. The APT group behind the sophisticated malware known as StrongPity (a.k.a. Promethium) has changed its tactics, after various research groups analyzed the malware and exposed its methods of deployment. The efforts have allowed the group to return to hidden ...

  • Two Critical RCE Bugs Patched in Drupal 7 and 8

    October 20, 2018

    Drupal is urging users to upgrade to the latest release that fixes two critical remote code execution bugs impacting Drupal 7 and Drupal 8. Developers have also identified three additional “moderately critical” vulnerabilities. “A remote attacker could exploit some of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system,” according to a security bulletin posted by the United States ...