Thousands of Linux servers infected by Ebury malware


Thousands of Linux servers are still infected by Ebury, a decades-old information-stealing malware that was thought extinct.
Ebury is a sophisticated piece of malware designed to compromise Linux-based systems, particularly servers. It’s a type of backdoor and credential-stealing malware that allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to compromised systems.
Ebury’s developers are financially motivated, in newer times expanding into the cryptocurrency space, as well. Ebury also seems to be used for spam and web traffic redirection.
Targeting hosting providers
When cybersecurity researchers from ESET first reported on Ebury a decade ago, the report resulted in the arrest of the malware’s operators. However, that didn’t stop the malware from being updated and growing in the years since. Cumulatively, since 2009, some 400,000 Linux-powered servers have been infected by this backdoor.
At the end of last year, more than 100,000 endpoints were thought to still carrying the infection, according to a follow-up report (PDF) that ESET published earlier this week.
Key Ebury victims seem to be hosting providers, the researchers found. “The gang leverages its access to the hosting provider’s infrastructure to install Ebury on all the servers that are being rented by that provider,” they explained. As part of an experiment, they rented a virtual server and suffered an infection within a week.
“Another interesting method is the use of adversary in the middle to intercept SSH traffic of interesting targets inside data centers and redirect it to a server used to capture credentials,” they added.
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Last year, more than 200 servers were targeted by Ebury operators. Among the targets were many Bitcoin and Ethereum nodes, as one of Ebury’s main features was to automatically steal cryptocurrency wallets hosted on the targeted server, as soon as the victim logs in with a password.
Via BleepingComputer
More from TechRadar Pro
Thousands of Linux servers are still infected by Ebury, a decades-old information-stealing malware that was thought extinct. Ebury is a sophisticated piece of malware designed to compromise Linux-based systems, particularly servers. It’s a type of backdoor and credential-stealing malware that allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to compromised systems. Ebury’s…
Recent Posts
- PlayStation Network is down
- How to watch Super Bowl 2025 for free on Sunday: Chiefs vs. Eagles
- GM will reportedly stop making gas-powered Chevy Blazer
- The Best Samsung Galaxy S25 Cases and Accessories (2025), Tested and Reviewed
- ‘Scrappier and more focused’: Sonos is changing its whole structure to make better products and avoid any more app disasters
Archives
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- 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
- September 2018
- October 2017
- December 2011
- August 2010