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:
- Scandinavian Airlines hit by cyber attack
February 15, 2023
Scandinavian airline SAS said it was hit by a cyber attack Tuesday evening and urged customers to refrain from using its app but later said it had fixed the problem. News reports said the hack paralyzed the carrier’s website and leaked customer information from its app. Read more… Source: Skift
- Pepsi Bottling Ventures says info-stealing malware swiped sensitive data
February 14, 2023
Crooks have breached Pepsi Bottling Ventures’ network and, after deploying info-stealing malware, made off with sensitive personal and financial information according to a notification sent to consumers. The breach happened on or around December 23, 2022. However, Pepsi Bottling Ventures – America’s largest manufacturer and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages – didn’t discover the unauthorized activity until ...
- New stealthy ‘Beep’ malware focuses heavily on evading detection
February 14, 2023
A new stealthy malware named ‘Beep’ was discovered last week, featuring many features to evade analysis and detection by security software. The malware was discovered by analysts at Minerva after a flurry of samples were uploaded to VirusTotal, an online platform for file scanning and malicious content detection. Read more… Source: Bleeping Computer
- Romance scam targets security researcher, hilarity ensues
February 14, 2023
It sounds like the plot of a somewhat far-fetched romcom-slash-thriller Netflix series, maybe billed as You meets Your Place or Mine, dropping just in time for Valentine’s Day. In it, a pig butchering romance scammer targets her next victim: Sophos’s lead threat researcher. The security biz would probably want us to make very clear that no ...
- New MortalKombat ransomware and Laplas Clipper malware threats deployed in financially motivated campaign
February 14, 2023
Since December 2022, Cisco Talos has been observing an unidentified actor deploying two relatively new threats, the recently discovered MortalKombat ransomware and a GO variant of the Laplas Clipper malware, to steal cryptocurrency from victims. Talos observed the actor scanning the internet for victim machines with an exposed remote desktop protocol (RDP) port 3389, using one ...
- Several NATO websites suffer a cyber attack
February 13, 2023
Several NATO websites have suffered a computer attack on Sunday night, leaving the NATO Special Operations Headquarters website, among others, temporarily inoperative. “NATO cyber experts are actively dealing with an incident affecting some NATO websites. NATO deals with cyber incidents on a regular basis, and takes cyber security very seriously,” an Atlantic Alliance official told DPA ...