rootkit

Pierluigi Paganini February 29, 2024
Lazarus APT exploited zero-day in Windows driver to gain kernel privileges

North Korea-linked Lazarus APT exploited a zero-day flaw in the Windows AppLocker driver (appid.sys) to gain kernel-level access to target systems. Avast researchers observed North Korea-linked Lazarus APT group using an admin-to-kernel exploit for a zero-day vulnerability in the appid.sys AppLocker driver.  The zero-day, tracked as CVE-2024-21338 has been addressed by Microsoft in the February […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 05, 2023
Reptile Rootkit employed in attacks against Linux systems in South Korea

Researchers observed threat actors that are using an open-source rootkit called Reptile in attacks aimed at systems in South Korea. Reptile is an open-source kernel module rootkit that was designed to target Linux systems, unlike other rootkits, it also offers a reverse shell. The malware supports port knocking, it opens a specific port on an infected system […]

Pierluigi Paganini October 17, 2022
New UEFI rootkit Black Lotus offered for sale at $5,000

Black Lotus is a new, powerful Windows UEFI rootkit advertised on underground criminal forums, researcher warns. Cybersecurity researcher Scott Scheferman reported that a new Windows UEFI rootkit, dubbed Black Lotus, is advertised on underground criminal forums. The powerful malware is offered for sale at $5,000, with $200 payments per new updates. The researcher warns that […]

Pierluigi Paganini July 25, 2022
CosmicStrand, a new sophisticated UEFI firmware rootkit linked to China

Kaspersky uncovered a new UEFI firmware rootkit, tracked as CosmicStrand, which it attributes to an unknown Chinese-speaking threat actor.  Researchers from Kaspersky have spotted a UEFI firmware rootkit, named CosmicStrand, which has been attributed to an unknown Chinese-speaking threat actor. This malware was first spotted by Chinese firm Qihoo360 in 2017. The researchers were not […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 30, 2021
New iLOBleed Rootkit, the first time ever that malware targets iLO firmware

A previously unknown rootkit, dubbed iLOBleed, was used in attacks aimed at HP Enterprise servers that wiped data off the infected systems. iLOBleed, is a previously undetected rootkit that was spotted targeting the HP Enterprise’s Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) server management technology to tamper with the firmware modules and wipe data off the infected systems. The […]

Pierluigi Paganini June 28, 2021
Microsoft investigates threat actor distributing malicious Netfilter Driver

Microsoft is investigating an strange attack, threat actor used a driver signed by the company, the Netfilter Driver, to implant a Rootkit. Microsoft announced it is investigating a threat actor distributing malicious drivers in attacks aimed at the gaming industry in China. The actor submitted drivers that were built by a third party for certification […]

Pierluigi Paganini March 29, 2021
New Purple Fox version includes Rootkit and implements wormable propagation

Researchers from Guardicore have spotted a new variant of the Purple Fox Windows malware that implements worm-like propagation capabilities. Researchers from Guardicore have discovered a new version of the Purple Fox Windows malware that implements worm-like propagation capabilities.Up until recently, Purple Fox’s operators infected machines by using exploit kits and phishing emails. Previous versions of […]

Pierluigi Paganini July 07, 2020
Project Freta, a free service that allows finding malware in OS memory snapshots

Microsoft launched Project Freta, a free service that allows users to find malware, including rootkit, in operating system memory snapshots. Microsoft has unveiled a new project, dubbed Project Freta, for the discovery of malicious code in operating system memory snapshots. The Project Freta is a cloud-based service that allows users to collect forensic evidence of attacks […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 12, 2019
Flaws in device drivers from 20 vendors allow hackers to install a persistent backdoor

Researchers discovered multiple flaws in more than 40 device drivers from at least 20 different vendors that could to install a persistent backdoor on Windows PCs. Experts at firmware security firm Eclypsium have conducted a study on the device drivers from major vendors and discovered serious issues in over 40 drivers from 20 companies. The […]

Pierluigi Paganini April 16, 2019
Scranos – A Cross Platform, Rootkit-Enabled Spyware rapidly spreading

Scranos is a powerful cross-platform rootkit-enabled spyware discovered while investigating malware posing as legitimate software like video players, drivers and even anti-virus products. The Scranos rootkit malware was first discovered late last year when experts at Bitdefender were analyzing a new password- and data-stealing operation leveraging around a rootkit driver digitally signed with a stolen […]