Attackers typically try to pass off malware as legitimate applications or as potentially unwanted programs that users deliberately search for and download, such as cheats or cracks. They often rely on ad and affiliate networks to deliver their creations to victims’ devices. This post examines a less conventional case: a well-known backdoor distributed under the guise of adware. The attackers may have chosen this distribution method because the adware was signed by the developer. On top of that, users often manually add these apps to exclusions, so their useful features don’t get blocked.
Some time ago, a client asked us to analyze a file with the MD5 hash c24e99f9437feacaa63766a3cde3fe3d and add it to our detection database. We initially classified it as adware, but a cursory analysis turned up suspicious network activity, which prompted us to dig deeper. It turned out the sample did far more than serve ads. In fact, its advertising functionality doesn’t even work; instead, it triggers an infection chain that delivers the ValleyRAT backdoor.
Read more…
Source: Kaspersky
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- UK: Hackney Council still addressing 2020 cyber attack
January 13, 2025
Hackney Council has bought a new housing management system – technology that supports local authorities manage housing – as it tries to address the damage from a cyber attack four years ago. The October 2020 cyber attack left a lasting impact on services during a housing crisis which, according to the Local Democracy Report, has seen ...
- Burning Zero Days: Suspected Nation-State Adversary Targets Ivanti CSA
January 11, 2025
Today FortiGuard Labs is releasing this blog post about a case where an advanced adversary was observed exploiting three vulnerabilities affecting the Ivanti Cloud Services Appliance (CSA). At the time of our investigation, two out of the three identified vulnerabilities were not publicly known. This incident is a prime example of how threat actors chain zero-day ...
- Meet FunkSec: A New, Surprising Ransomware Group, Powered by AI
January 10, 2025
The FunkSec ransomware group emerged in late 2024 and published over 85 victims in December, surpassing every other ransomware group that month. FunkSec operators appear to use AI-assisted malware development, which can enable even inexperienced actors to quickly produce and refine advanced tools. The group’s activities straddle the line between hacktivism and cybercrime, complicating efforts to ...
- Cracking the Code: How Banshee Stealer Targets macOS Users
January 9, 2025
Since September, Check Point Research (CPR) has been monitoring a new version of the Banshee macOS Stealer, a malware that steals browser credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and other sensitive data. Undetected for over two months, Banshee’s latest version introduced string encryption taken from Apple’s XProtect, likely causing antivirus detection systems to overlook the malware. Threat actors distributed ...
- Information Stealer Masquerades as LDAPNightmare (CVE-2024-49113) PoC Exploit
January 9, 2025
In December 2024, two critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Windows Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) were addressed via Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday release. Both vulnerabilities were deemed as highly significant due to the widespread use of LDAP in Windows environments. In this blog entry, Trend Micro researchers discuss a fake proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2024-49113 (aka LDAPNightmare) ...
- Google Chrome AI extensions deliver info-stealing malware in broad attack
January 9, 2025
Small businesses and boutique organizations should use caution when leaning on browser-friendly artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate ideas, content, and marketing copy, as a set of Google Chrome extensions were recently compromised to deliver info-stealing malware disguised as legitimate updates. Analyzed by researchers at Extension Total, the cybercriminal campaign has managed to take over the ...