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:
- U.S. Critical Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber Threats and the Importance of Prevention
May 31, 2021
The critical infrastructure of the United States includes all those systems and assets that are essential to the proper functioning, economy, health, and safety of American society. The roads and railways that we travel on; the Internet and the mobile networks that connect us; the water that we drink; the healthcare, financial services and security ...
- Swedish Health Agency shuts down SmiNet after hacking attempts
May 31, 2021
The Swedish Public Health Agency (Folkhälsomyndigheten) has shut down SmiNet, the country’s infectious diseases database, on Thursday after it was targeted in several hacking attempts. SmiNet, which is also used to store electronic reports with statistics on COVID-19 infections, was shut down on Thursday to investigate the attacks and was brought back online on Friday evening. Read ...
- JBS USA cyber attack affecting North American and Australian systems
May 31, 2021
United States-based food processing company JBS USA has confirmed falling victim to a cyber attack, with the aftermath affecting its North American and Australian systems. “On Sunday, May 30, JBS USA determined that it was the target of an organised cybersecurity attack, affecting some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems,” it ...
- New Epsilon Red ransomware hunts unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers
May 29, 2021
A new ransomware threat calling itself Red Epsilon has been seen leveraging Microsoft Exchange server vulnerabilities to encrypt machines across the network. Epsilon Red ransomware attacks rely on more than a dozen scripts before reaching the encryption stage and also use a commercial remote desktop utility. Read more… Source: Bleeping Computer
- DarkSide on Linux: Virtual Machines Targeted
May 28, 2021
As we discussed in our previous blog, the DarkSide ransomware is targeting organizations in manufacturing, finance, and critical infrastructures in regions such as the United States, France, Belgium, and Canada. The DarkSide ransomware targets both Windows and Linux platforms. We also noticed that the Linux variant, in particular, targets ESXI servers. In this blog, we focus ...
- Russian gang behind SolarWinds hack returns with phishing attack disguised as mail from US aid agency
May 28, 2021
Nobelium, the Russia-aligned gang identified as the perpetrators of the supply chain attack on SolarWinds’ Orion software, has struck again, Microsoft vice president Tom Burt in a blogpost Thursday. Burt’s post says the attacks saw Nobelium gain access to accounts on the email marketing service “Constant Contact” operated by The United States Agency for International Development ...