Attackers are increasingly exploiting Windows shortcut (LNK) files for malware delivery. Palo Alto Unit 42 telemetry revealed 21,098 malicious LNK samples in 2023, which surged to 68,392 in 2024.
In this article, Unit 42 researchers present an in-depth investigation of LNK malware, based on analysis of 30,000 recent samples. Windows shortcut files use the .lnk file extension and function as a virtual link that allows people to easily access other files without having to navigate through multiple folders on a Windows host. The flexibility of LNK files makes them a powerful tool for attackers, as they can both execute malicious content and masquerade as legitimate files to deceive victims into unintentionally launching malware.
Read more…
Source: Palo Alto Unit 42
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.
Related:
- Chennai bomb threat mails: Serious setback for police as Microsoft refuses to share vital information
August 30, 2024
Chennai cybercrime police has faced a serious setback in its investigations into the more than three dozen hoax bomb emails sent to schools, colleges, and the airport, ToI reported on August 30. Microsoft has refused to share crucial information regarding the mails, the report by ToI’s A Selvaraj said. These emails, the latest of which coincided ...
- 85 cyber attacks on Việt Nam’s sites, portals last week
August 30, 2024
A total of 85 cases of cyber attacks on Việt Nam’s websites and information portals were reported in the past week, according to the Authority of Information Security (under the Ministry of Information and Communications). Seventy four were phishing attacks and eleven were malware installations. According to the information security authority, attackers have been using malicious ...
- #StopRansomware: RansomHub Ransomware
August 29, 2024
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and partners are releasing this joint advisory to disseminate known RansomHub ransomware IOCs and TTPs. These have been identified through FBI threat response activities and third-party reporting as recently as August 2024. RansomHub is a ransomware-as-a-service variant—formerly known as Cyclops and Knight—that has established itself as an efficient and successful ...
- Fake Canva home page leads to browser lock
August 29, 2024
In a previous blog post, Malwarebytes researchers showed how fraudsters were leveraging features from the very company (Microsoft) they were impersonating. Malwarebytes Labs continue this series with another clever trick abusing Canva, a popular online tool for graphic design. This time, the scammers registered an account on Canva to create a new design that, is in ...
- Preparing for Unknown Risks: How to Better Prepare for Risks You Can’t See Yet
August 29, 2024
As security professionals we’re used to dealing with unknowns and unpredictability. We understand that it’s impossible to always know what’s around the corner. It’s not just about external threats and the big breaches splashed across the news headlines. On one hand, we’re combating threat actors attempting to steal information, money or simply trying to cause havoc. ...
- State-backed attackers and commercial surveillance vendors repeatedly use the same exploits
August 29, 2024
Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) observed multiple in-the-wild exploit campaigns, between November 2023 and July 2024, delivered from a watering hole attack on Mongolian government websites. The campaigns first delivered an iOS WebKit exploit affecting iOS versions older than 16.6.1 and then later, a Chrome exploit chain against Android users running versions from m121 to m123. ...