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:
- 2024 U.S. Federal Elections: The Insider Threat
June 28, 2024
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) prepared this overview to help partners defend against insider threat concerns that could materialize during the 2024 election cycle. For years, ...
- Unauthenticated Command Injection in Netis Router
June 28, 2024
This week’s Metasploit release includes an exploit module for an unauthenticated command injection vulnerability in the Netis MW5360 router which is being tracked as CVE-2024-22729. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of the password parameter within the router’s web interface which allows for command injection. Fortunately for attackers, the router’s login page authorization can be bypassed ...
- Airports, Student Aid Services Struck by Indonesian Cyber Attack
June 28, 2024
Indonesia’s parliament called the government to task over another cyber attack that led to airport and scholarship services being put out of service. The ransomware attack that affected hundreds of ministries and public institutions was “catastrophic,” said lawmaker Tubagus Hasanuddin in a Thursday evening hearing with the communications minister and the head of state cybersecurity agency. ...
- Supply Chain Compromise Leads to Trojanized Installers for Notezilla, RecentX, Copywhiz
June 27, 2024
On Tuesday, June 18th, 2024, Rapid7 initiated an investigation into suspicious activity in a customer environment. Their investigation identified that the suspicious behavior was emanating from the installation of Notezilla, a program that allows for the creation of sticky notes on a Windows desktop. Installers for Notezilla, along with tools called RecentX and Copywhiz, are distributed ...
- Critical Vulnerability in Fortra FileCatalyst Workflow
June 27, 2024
Fortra has released a security update addressing a critical vulnerability found in FileCatalyst Workflow. FileCatalyst is an accelerated file transfer software solution that allows the transfer of large files over remote networks. CVE-2024-5276 is an SQL Injection vulnerability with a CVSSv3 score of 9.8 (critical), which if exploited could allow an unauthenticated attacker to modify or ...
- MerkSpy: Exploiting CVE-2021-40444 to Infiltrate Systems
June 27, 2024
Spyware is malicious software engineered to covertly monitor and gather information from a user’s computer without their awareness or consent. It can record activities like keystrokes, browsing behavior, and personal information, often transmitting this data to a third party for espionage or theft. FortiGuard Labs recently detected an attack exploiting the CVE-2021-40444 vulnerability in Microsoft Office. ...