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:
- Hacking the Crypto-Monetized Web
June 30, 2022
The web is several decades old. But it largely still relies on the same method of monetization as it always has: advertising. However, things are changing thanks to the power of cryptocurrency and blockchain. It’s what Trend Micro has coined the “crypto-monetized web” (CMW). But where there’s money to be made and users to be ...
- Burrowing your way into VPNs, Proxies, and Tunnels
June 29, 2022
When considering an attack lifecycle from an adversarial perspective, the adversary has a few options on how to proceed at each step. One of questions that needs to be answered is whether the adversary will use publicly known malware (i.e. BEACON), custom built-from-the-ground-up malware (i.e. HAMMERTOSS), or legitimate software and services (i.e. SoftEther Virtual Private ...
- ZuoRAT is targeting routers to break into networks
June 29, 2022
A newly discovered remote access trojan (RAT) called ZuoRAT has targeted remote workers by exploiting flaws in often unpatched small office/home office (SOHO) routers. Researchers at Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence unit report that ZuoRAT is part of a highly targeted, sophisticated campaign that has been targeting workers across North America and Europe for nearly ...
- FCC Commissioner urges Google and Apple to ban TikTok
June 29, 2022
“TikTok is not just another video app. That’s the sheep’s clothing.” That’s what Brendan Carr wrote in his tweet along with a copy of the letter he sent Apple and Google, asking the companies to remove TikTok from their app stores. The agency’s senior Republican commissioner references a recent BuzzFeed News report that examined leaked ...
- Bumblebee: New Loader Rapidly Assuming Central Position in Cyber-crime Ecosystem
June 28, 2022
Bumblebee, a recently developed malware loader, has quickly become a key component in a wide range of cyber-crime attacks and appears to have replaced a number of older loaders, which suggests that it is the work of established actors and that the transition to Bumblebee was pre-planned. By analysis of three other tools used in recent ...
- Log4Shell Vulnerability in VMware Leads to Data Exfiltration and Ransomware
June 28, 2022
Trend Micro Research recently analyzed several cases of a Log4Shell vulnerability being exploited in certain versions of the software VMware Horizon. After investigating the chain of events, they found that many of these attacks resulted in data being exfiltrated from the infected systems. However, the researchers also found that some of the victims were infected ...