VMDetector-Based Loader Abuses Steganography to Deliver Infostealers


Recently, the SonicWall Capture Labs threat research team has identified various malware strains being distributed through a custom VMDetector Loader. This loader is typically delivered to the victim’s system via image files embedded with steganography. The primary payloads observed include popular malware families such as Remcos, VIPKeyLogger, AveMariaRAT, DCRAT, FormBook, and others.

Attackers send an email with an archive file that includes either JavaScript, VBScript, or HTA content. The embedded scripts employ basic obfuscation through string replacement and base64 encoding, making them appear benign while evading straightforward detection.

Read more…
Source: Sonicwall


Sign up for our Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.


Related:

  • New Ransomware Charon Uses Earth Baxia APT Techniques to Target Enterprises

    August 12, 2025

    Trend Micro researchers recently identified a new ransomware family called Charon, deployed in a targeted attack observed in the Middle East’s public sector and aviation industry. The threat actor employed a DLL sideloading technique notably similar to tactics previously documented in the Earth Baxia campaigns, which have historically targeted government sectors. The attack chain leveraged a ...

  • WinRAR vulnerability exploited by two different groups

    August 12, 2025

    On July 30, 2025, WinRAR released a new version (7.13 Final) to patch a vulnerability which was used in two separate malware campaigns. WinRAR is a popular file archiving and data compression tool that allows users to compress files into smaller archives, like RAR and ZIP, and can also unpack various archive formats. The vulnerability, tracked ...

  • Russian government hackers said to be behind US federal court filing system hack

    August 12, 2025

    The Russian government is allegedly behind the data breach affecting the U.S. court filing system known as PACER, according to The New York Times. Citing anonymous sources, the newspaper said Russia “is at least in part responsible” for the cyberattack, without saying what part of the Russian government is behind the hack. The hackers searched for ...

  • WestJet says some passengers’ personal information stolen in cyberattack

    August 11, 2025

    WestJet says some personal data including information about travel documents such as passports was stolen in a cyberattack earlier this year, but credit and debit card numbers as well as user passwords were not compromised. In a note to customers, WestJet says the personal information taken varies from person to person but may include name, date ...

  • From ClickFix to Command: A Full PowerShell Attack Chain

    August 11, 2025

    The FortiMail Workspace Security team recently identified a targeted intrusion campaign impacting multiple Israeli organizations. The adversary leveraged compromised internal email infrastructure to distribute phishing messages across the regional business landscape. These emails initiated a multi-stage, PowerShell-based infection chain that culminated in the delivery of a remote access trojan (RAT), executed entirely through PowerShell. Read more… Source:  Fortinet Sign ...

  • University of Western Australia suffers major data breach, staff and students locked out

    August 11, 2025

    One of Australia’s major universities has suffered a data breach, with the password information of thousands of staff and students exposed. The University of WA (UWA) confirmed it was investigating a cybersecurity incident on Saturday night, which involved unauthorised access of password information. Read more… Source:  MSN Ness Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter The latest cyber security ...