Rise in XorDdos: A deeper look at the stealthy DDoS malware targeting Linux devices
In the last six months, we observed a 254% increase in activity from a Linux trojan called XorDdos. First discovered in 2014 by the research group MalwareMustDie, XorDdos was named after its denial-of-service-related activities on Linux endpoints and servers as ... continue reading
In hot pursuit of ‘cryware’: Defending hot wallets from attacks
The steep rise in cryptocurrency market capitalization, not surprisingly, mirrors a marked increase in threats and attacks that target or leverage cryptocurrencies. But Microsoft researchers are observing an even more interesting trend: the evolution of related malware and their techniques, ... continue reading
Dismantling ZLoader: How malicious ads led to disabled security tools and ransomware
As announced today, Microsoft took action against the ZLoader trojan by working with telecommunications providers around the world to disrupt key ZLoader infrastructure. We used our research into this threat to enrich our protection technologies and ensure this infrastructure could ... continue reading
SpringShell RCE vulnerability: Guidance for protecting against and detecting CVE-2022-22965
On March 31, 2022, vulnerabilities in the Spring Framework for Java were publicly disclosed. Microsoft is currently assessing the impact associated with these vulnerabilities. This blog is for customers looking for protection against exploitation and ways to detect vulnerable installations ... continue reading
When is true not equal to true?
When is true not equal to true? An investigation of homoglyphs, their impact on code, and how to detect them. Statement of the problem Here is something I did for fun but stuff like this would be very difficult to ... continue reading
Uncovering Trickbot’s use of IoT devices in command-and-control infrastructure
Trickbot, a sophisticated trojan that has evolved significantly since its discovery in 2016, has continually expanded its capabilities and, even with disruption efforts and news of its infrastructure going offline, it has managed to remain one of the most persistent ... continue reading
ACTINIUM targets Ukrainian organizations
The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) is sharing information on a threat group named ACTINIUM, which has been operational for almost a decade and has consistently pursued access to organizations in Ukraine or entities related to Ukrainian affairs. MSTIC previously ... continue reading
The evolution of a Mac trojan: UpdateAgent’s progression
Our discovery and analysis of a sophisticated Mac trojan in October exposed a year-long evolution of a malware family—and depicts the rising complexity of threats across platforms. The trojan, tracked as UpdateAgent, started as a relatively basic information-stealer but was ... continue reading
Guidance for preventing, detecting, and hunting for CVE-2021-44228 Log4j 2 exploitation
Microsoft’s unified threat intelligence team, comprising the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team, RiskIQ, and the Microsoft Detection and Response Team (DART), among others, have been tracking threats taking advantage of CVE-2021-44228, a remote code ... continue reading
A closer look at Qakbot’s latest building blocks (and how to knock them down)
Multiple Qakbot campaigns that are active at any given time prove that the decade-old malware continues to be many attackers’ tool of choice, a customizable chameleon that adapts to suit the needs of the multiple threat actor groups that utilize ... continue reading
