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:
- Ripple20 Vulnerability Mitigation Best Practices
June 22, 2020
On June 16th, the Department of Homeland Security and CISA ICS-CERT issued a critical security advisory warning covering multiple newly discovered vulnerabilities affecting Internet-connected devices manufactured by multiple vendors. This set of 19 vulnerabilities in a low-level TCP/IP software library developed by Treck has been dubbed “Ripple20” by researchers from JSOF. A networking stack is a software component that provides ...
- XORDDoS, Kaiji Botnet Malware Variants Target Exposed Docker Servers
June 22, 2020
Researchers at Trend Micro have recently detected variants of two existing Linux botnet malware types targeting exposed Docker servers; these are XORDDoS malware (detected by Trend Micro as Backdoor.Linux.XORDDOS.AE) and Kaiji DDoS malware (detected by Trend Micro as DDoS.Linux.KAIJI.A). Having Docker servers as their target is a new development for both XORDDoS and Kaiji; XORDDoS was known ...
- BlueLeaks: Data from 200 US police departments & fusion centers published online
June 22, 2020
The files, dubbed BlueLeaks, have been published by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets), a group that describes itself as a “transparency collective.” The data has been made available online on a searchable portal. According to the BlueLeaks portal, the leaked data contains more than one million files, such as scanned documents, videos, emails, audio files, and more. DDoSecrets ...
- Microcin is here
June 19, 2020
In February 2020, we observed a Trojan injected into the system process memory on a particular host. The target turned out to be a diplomatic entity. What initially attracted our attention was the enterprise-grade API-like (application programming interface) programming style. Such an approach is not that common in the malware world and is mostly used ...
- Hackers use fake Windows error logs to hide malicious payload
June 19, 2020
Hackers have been using fake error logs to store ASCII characters disguised as hexadecimal values that decode to a malicious payload designed to prepare the ground for script-based attacks. The trick is part of a longer chain with intermediary PowerShell commands that ultimately delivers a script for reconnaissance purposes. MSP threat detection provider Huntress Labs discovered an attack scenario ...
- Australian PM says nation under serious state-run ‘cyber attack’ – Microsoft, Citrix, Telerik UI bugs ‘exploited’
June 19, 2020
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called a snap press conference to reveal that the nation is under cyber-attack by a state-based actor, but the nation’s infosec advice agency says that while the attacker has gained access to some systems it has not conducted “any disruptive or destructive activities within victim environments.” Morrison said the attack ...