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:
- WantToCry ransomware remotely encrypts files
May 19, 2026
SophosLabs analysts investigated WantToCry ransomware attacks that involved the threat actors abusing the Server Message Block (SMB) service for initial access and then exfiltrating files to attacker-controlled infrastructure for remote encryption. The detection surface is significantly reduced because WantToCry operates without local malware execution, and there is no post-compromise activity beyond exfiltrating files and rewriting ...
- NGINX Rift attackers waste no time targeting exposed servers
May 18, 2026
Exploit attempts are already hammering a newly disclosed NGINX bug dubbed “NGINX Rift,” proving once again that attackers read patch notes faster than most admins. Researchers at VulnCheck said they are seeing active exploitation tied to CVE-2026-42945, a heap buffer overflow flaw affecting both NGINX Open Source and NGINX Plus that was disclosed last week after apparently sitting ...
- Chaotic Eclipse strikes again with another worrying Windows security flaw
May 18, 2026
Threat actors could escalate privileges and gain SYSTEM access on a fully patched Windows 11 device thanks to an unpatched vulnerability which allegedly should have been fixed years ago, new reports have claimed. A researcher with the alias Chaotic Eclipse recently disclosed a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) exploit for a zero-day vulnerability they named “MiniPlasma”. In a new GitHub entry, ...
- NYC Health + Hospitals says hackers stole medical data affecting at least 1.8m people
May 18, 2026
New York public health provider NYC Health + Hospitals says a months-long data breach that allowed hackers to steal personal data, medical records, and fingerprints scans affects at least 1.8 million people. NYCHHC is the largest public health system in the United States and provides healthcare to over a million New Yorkers, the majority of whom are uninsured or ...
- Scammers are targeting World Cup fans
May 16, 2026
We’re less than a month away from the biggest sporting event of the year, the FIFA World Cup, and scammers are already busy stealing money, passwords, and other sensitive data from fans and visitors, experts have warned. Kaspersky has published a breakdown of the different scam techniques cybercriminals are using to target football fans as they ...
- Patch time for Cisco SD-WAN admins as vendor drops yet another make-me-admin zero-day
May 15, 2026
Cisco admins face emergency patch duty after Switchzilla disclosed a max-severity make-me-admin bug affecting Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager. Switchzilla dropped an advisory for CVE-2026-20182 (10.0) on Thursday, saying that both components, formerly known as vSmart and vManage, were vulnerable in all deployment types, and that fixes were available. The bug allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication and ...