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:
- Duvel forced to shut breweries after cyber attack
March 9, 2024
Belgian brewer Duvel has insisted it will have enough beer to keep supply flowing after it was hit by a cyber attack that brought production to a standstill. The company, one of the best-known Belgian beer brands, was hit by a suspected ransomware attack on Tuesday night that shut down five of its production facilities, four ...
- FBI Report Reveals Americans Lost Staggering $3.94 Billion to Crypto Investment Scams in 2023
March 9, 2024
The surge in cryptocurrency scams in 2023, as reported by the FBI, underscores the growing prevalence of digital currency in online crime. With losses reaching $3.94 billion, a 53% increase from the previous year, these scams represent a significant portion of overall investment frauds, which amounted to $4.57 billion. Cryptocurrency scams encompass a range of deceptive ...
- Magnet Goblin Targets Publicly Facing Servers Using 1-Day Vulnerabilities
March 8, 2024
On January 10, 2024, Ivanti published a security advisory regarding two vulnerabilities in Ivanti Connect Secure VPN. These vulnerabilities, which were exploited in the wild, are identified as CVE-2023-46805 and CVE-2023-21887. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities was quickly adopted by a number of threat actors, resulting in a broad range of malicious activities. Check Point Research ...
- Patch now! VMWare escape flaws are so serious even end-of-life software gets a fix
March 8, 2024
VMWare has issued secuity fixes for its VMware ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, and Cloud Foundation products. It has even taken the unusual step of issuing updates for versions of the affected software that have reached thier end-of-life, meaning they would normally no longer be supported. This flaws affect customers who have deployed VMware Workstation, VMware Fusion, and/or ...
- Belgium’s largest coffee roaster falls victim to cyber attack
March 8, 2024
Coffee Beyers from the Belgian town of Puurs-Sint-Amands has fallen victim to a cyber attack. Hackers managed to break into the company’s computer systems on Thursday. Cybercriminals are clearly targeting Belgian beverage producers this week. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, brewery Duvel Moortgat found traces of a break-in on its servers. Read more… Source: Techzine
- PetSmart warns customers of credential stuffing attack
March 7, 2024
Pet retail company PetSmart has emailed customers to alert them to a recent credential stuffing attack. Credential stuffing relies on the re-use of passwords. Take this example: User of Site A uses the same email and password to login to Site B. Site A gets compromised and those login details are exposed. People with access to ...