Qakbot returns — devious new malware tricks victims by using a fake Adobe installer
The infamous Qakbot malware is back, and sporting some interesting improvements, experts have warned.
Cybersecurity researchers from Sophos have observed new distribution campaigns for Qakbot, the malware now comes with a fake Windows installer. Once the victim clicks on the malware, it displays a bogus installer for an Adobe product.
The installer looks suspicious to begin with, displaying nothing but the words “Adobe Setup”. Clicking on the X button to terminate the process, the installer asks “Are you sure you want to cancel Adobe installation?” as it tries to trick the user into thinking the process is legitimate. The worst part is – it doesn’t matter what the victim clicks. In every scenario, the malware is installed – as the prompt only serves as a distraction.
Back with a vengance
Other notable improvements include enhanced obfuscation techniques, such as advanced encryption which hides strings and C2 communications. Besides the XOR encryption method that was observed in earlier variants, the new Qakbot versions also use AES-256 encryption.
Finally, the malware analyzes the endpoint for antivirus solutions and other protection tools, and checks for virtualized environments. If it deems it was installed in a sandbox, it will enter an infinite loop.
Qakbot was severely disrupted in the summer of 2023, when US law enforcement agencies took down its infrastructure during Operation Duck Hunt. However, as no arrests were made at the time, researchers concluded that it was only a matter of time before Qakbot’s operators sprung back into action.
Indeed, in December last year, Microsoft reported on a new phishing campaign distributing Qakbot and now Sophos says that up to 10 new malware builds were made since then.
Still, it is impossible to know if the new variants were developed by the same people that built the original Qakbot, or if a different threat actor obtained the source code and started experimenting with fresh builds.
Via BleepingComputer
More from TechRadar Pro
The infamous Qakbot malware is back, and sporting some interesting improvements, experts have warned. Cybersecurity researchers from Sophos have observed new distribution campaigns for Qakbot, the malware now comes with a fake Windows installer. Once the victim clicks on the malware, it displays a bogus installer for an Adobe product. …
Recent Posts
- Meta will shut down its Teams competitor Workplace next year
- Watch the Google I/O 2024 Developer keynote live
- Google might’ve just teased its new Smart Glass project but don’t call it Google Glass
- Google’s new LearnLM AI model focuses on education
- The 7 biggest AI announcements from Google I/O 2024 – from Gemini to Project Astra
Archives
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011