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:
- Remote code execution flaw patched in Linux Kernel TIPC module
November 4, 2021
A code execution vulnerability has been patched in the TIPC module of the Linux Kernel. The Transparent Inter Process Communication (TIPC) module has been designed to facilitate intra-cluster communication across Ethernet or UDP connections and is capable of service addressing, tracking, managing communication between nodes, and more. This protocol is implemented in a kernel module package with ...
- Lockean multi-RaaS affiliate linked to attacks against French businesses
November 4, 2021
Details about the tools and tactics used by a ransomware affiliate group, now tracked as Lockean, have emerged today in a report from France’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). Over the past year and a half, the threat actor has compromised the networks of at least eight French companies, stealing data and deploying malware from multiple ...
- Mobile phishing attacks targeting energy sector surge by 161%
November 3, 2021
Mobile phishing attacks targeting employees in the energy industry have risen by 161% compared to last year’s (H2 2020) data, and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down. Although the perils of outdated and vulnerable devices plague all sectors, a new report by cybersecurity firm Lookout indicates that energy is the most targeted, followed ...
- BlackMatter ransomware gang says it’s disbanding – again – after Ukraine arrests
November 3, 2021
A member of the BlackMatter (aka Darkside) ransomware gang has publicly claimed the extortionists are shutting down, causing much excitement within the infosec world. A Russian-language message reportedly posted on a forum used by ransomware criminals is said to have announced BlackMatter’s second disappearance of 2021, the gang previously pulling a disappearing act under their former ...
- ‘Tortilla’ Wraps Exchange Servers in ProxyShell Attacks
November 3, 2021
A new-ish threat actor sometimes known as “Tortilla” is launching a fresh round of ProxyShell attacks on Microsoft Exchange servers, this time with the aim of inflicting vulnerable servers with variants of the Babuk ransomware. Cisco Talos researchers said in a Wednesday report that they spotted the malicious campaign a few weeks ago, on Oct. 12. Tortilla, ...
- Arrests were made, but the Mekotio Trojan lives on
November 3, 2021
Despite the arrest of individuals connected with the spread of the Mekotio banking Trojan, the malware continues to be used in new attacks. On Wednesday, Check Point Research (CPR) published an analysis on Mekotio, a modular banking Remote Access Trojan (RAT) that targets victims in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain, and Peru — and is now back ...