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:
- BadPower attack corrupts fast chargers to melt or set your device on fire
July 20, 2020
Chinese security researchers said they can alter the firmware of fast chargers to cause damage to connected (charging) systems, such as melt components, or even set devices on fire. The technique, named BadPower, was detailed last week in a report published by Xuanwu Lab, a research unit of Chinese tech giant Tencent. According to researchers, BadPower works ...
- Two more cyber-attacks hit Israel’s water system
July 20, 2020
Two more cyber-attacks have hit Israel’s water management facilities, officials from the Water Authority said last week. Officials said the attacks took place last month, in June, and didn’t cause any damage to the attacked organizations. The first attack hit agricultural water pumps in upper Galilee, while the second one hit water pumps in the central province ...
- Ransomware gang demands $7.5 million from Argentinian ISP
July 20, 2020
A ransomware gang has infected the internal network of Telecom Argentina, one of the country’s largest internet service providers, and is now asking for a $7.5 million ransom demand to unlock encrypted files. The incident took place over the weekend, on Saturday, July 18, and is considered one of Argentina’s biggest hacks. Sources inside the ISP said ...
- Emotet-TrickBot malware duo is back infecting Windows machines
July 20, 2020
After awakening last week and starting to send spam worldwide, Emotet is now once again installing the TrickBot trojan on infected Windows computers. On July 17th, 2020, after over five months of inactivity, the Emotet Trojan woke up and started massive spam campaigns pretending to be payment reports, invoices, shipping information, and employment opportunities. These spam emails ...
- Windows 10 Store ‘wsreset’ tool lets attackers bypass antivirus
July 20, 2020
A technique that exploits Windows 10 Microsoft Store called ‘wsreset.exe’ can delete bypass antivirus protection on a host without being detected. Wsreset.exe is a legitimate troubleshooting tool that lets users diagnose problems with the Windows Store and reset its cache. Pentester and researcher Daniel Gebert has discovered that wsreset.exe can be abused to delete arbitrary files. As wsreset.exe ...
- Twitter Hack Update: What We Know (and What We Don’t)
July 17, 2020
Earlier this week, Twitter locked down thousands of verified accounts, including the accounts of Joe Biden, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Apple, Uber and others, after it became clear that hackers had been able to compromise them. The tip-off? Suddenly these high-profile accounts were all tweeting out identical links to a cryptocurrency scam. But what exactly happened? ...