All news with #malware tag

🛡️ Lumen Technologies' Black Lotus Labs reports that SystemBC, a C-based SOCKS5 proxy malware, powers roughly 80% of the REM Proxy network and averages about 1,500 compromised hosts per day. The botnet operates through more than 80 C2 servers and mainly targets VPS instances from major commercial providers, often via dropped shell scripts that install the proxy implant. REM Proxy also advertises pools of compromised Mikrotik routers and open proxies and has been used by actors tied to TransferLoader and the Morpheus ransomware group.

🔒 Researchers have identified CountLoader, a multi‑language malware loader used by Russian ransomware affiliates and initial access brokers to deploy post‑exploit tools such as Cobalt Strike, AdaptixC2 and the commercial PureHVNC RAT. Appearing in .NET, PowerShell and JavaScript flavors, the loader has been observed in PDF phishing campaigns targeting Ukraine and employs LOLBins and multiple download/execution methods to evade detection. The JavaScript variant is most feature‑complete, offering diverse downloaders, execution paths and persistence via a Google‑update‑named scheduled task.

🎮 Several incidents show attackers distributing malware via trusted gaming channels, including a compromised Endgame Gear OP1w utility, infected early-access Steam titles, and malicious skins on the official Minecraft site. The Endgame Gear installer likely contained the XRed backdoor, while Steam cases involved infostealers such as Trojan.Win32.Lazzzy.gen that harvested cookies and credentials. Users suffered account takeovers and data loss; recommended defenses include up-to-date antivirus, cautious vetting of downloads, and using gaming security modes that minimize disruption.

⚠️ Zscaler ThreatLabz researchers discovered two malicious Python packages, sisaws and secmeasure, that were designed to deliver the SilentSync remote access trojan to Windows hosts. Both packages, uploaded by a user identified as 'CondeTGAPIS' and since removed from PyPI, contained downloader logic that retrieved a second-stage Python payload (via Pastebin) and executed code in memory. SilentSync can execute commands, harvest browser credentials and cookies, capture screenshots, and exfiltrate files, while offering persistence mechanisms across Windows, Linux and macOS.

🪱 Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 is investigating an active supply chain attack in the npm ecosystem driven by a novel self-replicating worm tracked as "Shai-Hulud." The malware has compromised more than 180 packages, including high-impact libraries such as @ctrl/tinycolor, and automates credential theft, repository creation, and propagation across maintainers' packages. Unit 42 assesses with moderate confidence that an LLM assisted in authoring the malicious bash payload. Customers are protected through Cortex Cloud, Prisma Cloud, Cortex XDR and Advanced WildFire, and Unit 42 recommends immediate credential rotation, dependency audits, and enforcement of MFA.

🛡️ Acronis researchers have uncovered a rare FileFix campaign that hides a second-stage PowerShell script and encrypted executables inside JPG images using steganography. Attackers employ multilingual, heavily minified phishing pages that mimic a Meta support flow and trick victims into pasting a payload into file upload address bars. An obfuscated PowerShell one-liner downloads images from Bitbucket, extracts and decrypts components, and executes a Go-based loader that deploys StealC. Organizations should combine user training with process blocking and monitoring to mitigate this evolving threat.

🔍 Huntress analysts observed an uptick in attacks that combine classic ClickFix social engineering with more advanced deployment techniques over the past fifteen business days. A fake AnyDesk installer used a Cloudflare Turnstile lure that opened Windows File Explorer via the search-ms protocol to deliver an LNK payload disguised as a PDF and install an MSI that dropped MetaStealer. Separately, operators deployed Cephalus ransomware using DLL sideloading through the legitimate SentinelOne host binary, illustrating evolving tradecraft that mixes manual user interaction and technical evasion.

🦠 On the evening of September 15 a worm-like supply-chain attack began targeting popular npm components, compromising nearly 150 packages including @ctrl/tinycolor. Malicious code was added as a cross-platform postinstall script (bundle.js) that harvests credentials using a bundled TruffleHog, validates tokens via npm and GitHub APIs, and — where possible — publishes trojanized package updates. Harvested secrets are exfiltrated by creating public GitHub repositories and by deploying GitHub Actions that forward data to an attacker-controlled webhook.

🔍 A coordinated ad and click-fraud operation named SlopAds ran 224 Android apps that amassed roughly 38 million downloads across 228 countries, according to HUMAN's Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team. The campaign generated up to 2.3 billion bid requests per day and primarily targeted traffic from the U.S., India, and Brazil. Google removed the offending apps from the Play Store after the investigation, which found sophisticated evasion tactics including steganography and conditional payloads.

🐛 A self-replicating worm dubbed Shai-Hulud has infected at least 187 NPM packages, stealing developer credentials and publishing them to public GitHub repositories that include the string 'Shai-Hulud'. The malware searches for NPM tokens, uses them to inject itself into the top 20 packages accessible to the token and auto-publishes new versions, and leverages tools such as TruffleHog to locate secrets. The campaign briefly affected multiple packages linked to CrowdStrike and was first observed being modified on Sept. 14.

🚨 Security researchers say a new software supply chain campaign has compromised more than 40 npm packages by injecting a malicious bundle.js into republished releases. The trojan installs a downloader that executes TruffleHog to scan hosts for secrets and cloud credentials, targeting both Windows and Linux developer environments. Vendors warn maintainers to audit environments, rotate tokens, and remove affected versions to prevent ongoing exfiltration.

🐍 IBM X-Force reports that China-aligned Mustang Panda is deploying a new USB worm, SnakeDisk, to propagate the Yokai backdoor against machines geolocated to Thailand. The actor also introduced updated TONESHELL variants (TONESHELL8/9) with proxy-aware C2 and parallel reverse shells. SnakeDisk abuses DLL side-loading and USB volume masquerading—moving user files into a subfolder and presenting a deceptive 'USB.exe' lure before restoring originals—to spread selectively on Thailand-based public IPs.

🔒 ESET Research identified HybridPetya on VirusTotal in February 2025, with filenames implying a connection to the destructive NotPetya outbreak. The strain encrypts the NTFS Master File Table using Salsa20 and deploys a UEFI bootkit on the EFI System Partition to ensure firmware‑level persistence. One variant exploits CVE-2024-7344 to bypass UEFI Secure Boot via a signed but vulnerable Microsoft component, yet retains a working decryption mechanism for victims. Analysts found no signs of self-propagation like NotPetya, but the combination of pre-boot compromise and MFT encryption raises significant concern.

🔍 Security researchers at FortiGuard Labs uncovered an SEO poisoning campaign that manipulated search results to steer Chinese-speaking Microsoft Windows users to spoofed download sites. Attackers registered lookalike domains and used subtle character substitutions to present compromised installers that bundled legitimate apps with hidden malware such as Hiddengh0st and Winos. The operation used a redirection script known as nice.js, anti-analysis checks in components like EnumW.dll, and persistence mechanisms including registry changes and TypeLib hijacking. FortiGuard warns the final payloads supported monitoring, keystroke and clipboard capture, Telegram interception, and cryptocurrency wallet theft.

⚡ This weekly recap synthesizes critical cyber events and trends, highlighting a new bootkit, AI-enhanced attack tooling, and persistent supply-chain intrusions. HybridPetya samples demonstrate techniques to bypass UEFI Secure Boot, enabling bootkit persistence that can evade AV and survive OS reinstalls. The briefing also covers vendor emergency patches, novel Android RATs, fileless frameworks, and practical patch priorities for defenders.

🔒 New phishing campaigns are delivering remote monitoring and management (RMM) software by using multiple realistic lures, security firms warn. Attackers spoof browser updates, meeting software installers, party e-invites and government forms to trick victims into running installers for ITarian (Comodo), Atera, PDQ, SimpleHelp and ScreenConnect. Some campaigns host payloads on trusted services such as Cloudflare R2 and may install multiple RMM tools in quick succession. Analysts caution RMM compromise can lead to ransomware and data theft and recommend endpoint detection, approved-tool enforcement and enhanced network controls such as browser isolation.

🚨 Fortinet and Zscaler researchers describe an SEO poisoning campaign that targets Chinese-speaking users by surfacing spoofed download pages and GitHub Pages that host trojanized installers. Attackers manipulated search rankings and registered lookalike domains to trick victims into downloading installers bundling legitimate applications with hidden malware such as HiddenGh0st and Winos. Delivery chains use scripts (for example, nice.js), multi-stage JSON redirects, malicious DLLs and DLL sideloading to evade detection and establish persistence.

⚠️ A threat actor known as WhiteCobra has been publishing malicious VSIX extensions across VS Code Marketplace and OpenVSX, targeting users of VSCode, Cursor, and Windsurf with professionally crafted listings. The campaign comprises at least 24 identified extensions and remains active as the actor quickly re-uploads packages after takedown. Installed extensions execute a small loader that fetches platform-specific payloads; on Windows this chain leads to deployment of LummaStealer, while macOS builds execute a malicious Mach-O. Researchers warn that polished icons, forged descriptions, and inflated download counts were used to lend credibility and trick developers into installing the packages.

🛡️ In August 2025, FortiGuard Labs uncovered an SEO poisoning campaign that manipulated search rankings to lure Chinese-speaking users to lookalike download sites mimicking legitimate software, notably a DeepL spoof. Victims downloaded a bundled MSI installer that combined genuine application installers with malicious components (EnumW.dll, fragmented ZIPs and a packed vstdlib.dll) and used anti-analysis, timing checks and parent-process validation to evade sandboxes. The in-memory payload implements Heartbeat, Monitor and C2 modules, exfiltrates system and user data, and supports plugins for screen capture, keylogging, Telegram proxy removal and crypto wallet targeting. Fortinet detections and network protections are updated; organizations are advised to apply patches, scan affected systems, and contact incident response if compromise is suspected.

🔍 Security researchers at LevelBlue Labs identified an open-source Remote Access Trojan, AsyncRAT, being deployed via a multi-stage, fileless in-memory loader that avoids writing executables to disk. Attackers gained initial access through a compromised ConnectWise ScreenConnect client, executing a VBScript which invoked PowerShell to fetch two staged .NET assemblies. The first-stage assembly decodes payloads into byte arrays and uses reflection to run the secondary assembly directly in memory, while operators disabled AMSI and tampered with ETW to evade runtime detection. Persistence was achieved with a scheduled task disguised as "Skype Update," and the RAT used an AES-256 encrypted configuration to connect to a DuckDNS-based C2.