Skip to main content

Malicious Appsuite PDF Editor Spreads Tamperedchef Malware

Medium
Published: Thu Aug 28 2025 (08/28/2025, 13:34:18 UTC)
Source: AlienVault OTX General

Description

A large cybercrime campaign has been observed involving multiple fraudulent websites promoted through Google advertising. The campaign aims to trick users into downloading and installing a trojanized PDF editor containing the TamperedChef information-stealing malware. The malware harvests sensitive data, including credentials and web cookies. The campaign began on June 26, 2025, with the PDF editor initially appearing harmless but later activating malicious capabilities. The threat actor used Google advertising to promote the PDF editor, with at least 5 different campaign IDs observed. The malware's activation occurred 56 days after the campaign's start, coinciding with a typical Google ad campaign duration. The threat actor has a history of distributing malicious code disguised as free utility tools, and this campaign has successfully affected several European organizations.

AI-Powered Analysis

AILast updated: 08/28/2025, 14:05:24 UTC

Technical Analysis

The threat involves a widespread cybercrime campaign distributing a trojanized PDF editor named Appsuite PDF Editor, which is a vector for the TamperedChef malware. This campaign leverages fraudulent websites promoted via Google advertising to lure victims into downloading what appears to be a legitimate PDF editing tool. The malware is an information stealer designed to harvest sensitive data such as user credentials and web cookies, enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access to victim accounts and systems. The campaign began on June 26, 2025, and notably, the malicious payload activates 56 days after the initial download, aligning with typical Google ad campaign durations to evade early detection. The threat actor behind this campaign has a history of distributing malware disguised as free utility software, indicating a persistent and evolving modus operandi. The malware employs multiple advanced techniques, including obfuscation and various tactics mapped to MITRE ATT&CK techniques such as credential dumping (T1555), process injection (T1055), command execution (T1059), and persistence mechanisms (T1547.001). The campaign has successfully compromised several European organizations, highlighting its effectiveness and reach. No known exploits in the wild have been reported, but the stealthy activation delay and use of trusted advertising platforms increase the risk of widespread infection.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, the impact of this threat is significant. The theft of credentials and web cookies can lead to unauthorized access to corporate networks, email accounts, and cloud services, potentially resulting in data breaches, intellectual property theft, and financial fraud. The delayed activation of the malware complicates detection and incident response, allowing attackers to establish persistence and conduct reconnaissance before triggering malicious activities. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on PDF tools and remote work environments are particularly vulnerable, as users may be more inclined to download utility software from online ads. The campaign's use of Google advertising also means that even security-conscious organizations could be exposed if employees interact with these ads. The compromise of sensitive data can lead to regulatory penalties under GDPR, reputational damage, and operational disruption. Additionally, the malware’s capability to execute various post-exploitation techniques increases the risk of lateral movement and further compromise within affected networks.

Mitigation Recommendations

To mitigate this threat, European organizations should implement a multi-layered defense strategy: 1) Enhance user awareness training focusing on the risks of downloading software from unverified sources, especially those promoted via online ads. 2) Employ application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized or unknown software installations. 3) Utilize advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting delayed activation behaviors and suspicious process injections. 4) Monitor network traffic for unusual outbound connections that may indicate data exfiltration or command and control communication. 5) Restrict the use of administrative privileges and implement credential hygiene practices, including multifactor authentication (MFA) to limit the impact of stolen credentials. 6) Regularly audit and update security policies regarding software procurement and installation. 7) Collaborate with advertising platforms to report and block fraudulent ads promoting malicious software. 8) Conduct threat hunting exercises focusing on indicators of compromise related to TamperedChef and similar malware. 9) Implement strict cookie management policies and consider isolating browser sessions to reduce cookie theft risks.

Need more detailed analysis?Get Pro

Technical Details

Author
AlienVault
Tlp
white
References
["https://www.truesec.com/hub/blog/tamperedchef-the-bad-pdf-editor"]
Adversary
null
Pulse Id
68b05ada69e45706752086fa
Threat Score
null

Indicators of Compromise

Hash

ValueDescriptionCopy
hash41437d74945a79d7c3645539bb57c7b7
hash4a670eacfd255ae43770e587d5dd0308
hash56fff546ce738e76884611ca49c5751c
hash62e43638548bbe4909eaf8408d8b5686
hash63f0fae29430d1d7d0a21105aa51401f
hash6c787f1dfb0fd50c3204906eec5d82ed
hash6ccbffed360d97f73a9c567a54d2cc9b
hash6dd8e63aba91adc347ebd99554ef9580
hash6fd6c053f8fcf345efaa04f16ac0bffe
hash8b38d88bae48bad5a710d05b0cc01c69
hash8e046b2d89208d57b2c23933bfa2e1f4
hashf52ca24fd5f99891e0385959bad2ddd9
hash09e6f577cfd26845fe6e97e86951930e646af72c
hash16df861f4c4e1b1d1afe3e81922c305155576ffc
hash1b157905d53f928e32f8a8d1211c76d59d24fccd
hash21df00ac8bf8baa1111f3fc564d27a9eabf0f097
hash47ea2a7ee51a325b082ec58c999eac453ab1b726
hash664b0cb27490df5d414129be47f2ae2c5419e0cf
hash6ac57526776493308624d57da6fff843c22302ea
hash9a980119fbfb4e62024eed8026d7741194679461
hashabec5cd5df800f45083af07f424d4fe7d45b5b1f
hashf9ba54cf1d66b805cb2e96090988722ce4c84ad3
hash031682d2f69322a68cd13d0e380cf149199b20755c6e08f4fb7b41d27a5378f0
hash0a15e90c062bf6137336beba0ec480af8f370ceaedca3e1ff76cd131f2e54927
hash0faaec07a598784fc76caa5254307a01383b229397e271020f319be84c7b8bf9
hash10640dcc67b3e2e4a6dbbfdb2fab981de4676d57f9f093af3cfb6f4f8351baf6
hash13698b05960edbda52fa8f4836526f27e8fc519ca0f4a7bc776990568523113e
hash14fb07941492c7f014435633a02bf14761d91d1df3023fa0dd4c3210e80554b7
hash189b0ba8c61740d5ad1c802649718958a86f5b7a8c8e795dc2e990909a9ab88a
hash2221b218ad03b615683941d11bd8085ca87b7b576bc5d1a6c720a0eb223d4405
hash232006ef149a2dcc150d765a3b330317d5e62f21391c1f355fba4a833a9dd49f
hash25d1fd2706c39edeb453a30fbca7561142978468d3e94efa0982504d60b06757
hash2ce20ceb2aaa24de8d3d7714bf87cef90b9cc90a21234d0b7cc78f22d9d5d5c1
hash2e06a801c4bdfca8061c04dea3a43b0fd3b883b96f32dd901a076be786d466e6
hash2e4de114ad10967f1807f317f476290dc0045bdfa9395553d1b443ef9f905018
hash2f66690072dae1ca203e8c93330fccb8b5ccf8b8c9cce747250a11096d551794
hash2fe2d16e51488337de25bb02c7ca4a06e2b7e3229cd2af9903db7c9efdf88e31
hash3a2b1f97a47e63d48f8955311f18664aa2c5e5a865ec6f43d8943b81eefd5a65
hash3b32696ebac176a898f277bb662099deebecf7216dae942e610dc8b7b3dd4c48
hash3c702aa9c7e0f2e6557f3f4ac129afd2ad4cfa2b027d6f4a357c02d4185359c4
hash42222692739edf910e1e25310923ddfbbea465a69b6d9e5ec01091c5aa0aee0f
hash458ef97817fa4537ff9a4b73844260e4a9951ec4e7e4b4d3c13240bb8675764b
hash5485bafd43f2f3865f18e74a14a00a433971cdc5b50c357bd0307179e0187e3d
hash57c92ed1e87dda6091903e1360c065e594576e2125f5d45f159269b0bef47f32
hash5964e5c15ea512ea3208109d7175e6b43c5f85a77de95f44d3dc81e1940f94e3
hash5adc11546db45ab8e57f9bc2808b46898dc7eef179ccbf963552b694f0ec61b6
hash5c21b5d1eb58367cb1ac189d383a7f0eb1e8d00d6722712897eb2efdbc670d1d
hash5c839e560530a7a4077baa16294cc9dc404f98a42c004f2013903543383af669
hash5cbd51bbd10008b92fe490a6fa87339dd3d0f57fce82d10dc4fa0566133ac94d
hash5d3a41e2c6b854d12b70cea9000cafe1f3877bbccc51ca20f29da2e47f79a088
hash5f52dc64c6d56287abcdd16d1e2a42db1a4bccc43263cbc259d881fc709242b9
hash69b373084e47cbb54a9003ae2435adb49f184bfa11989a2800700da22a153dff
hash6aa61426d77da6674efdf6f7d139b4ccd9eebf4afb86831b79da0b8913ba89d8
hash6c6cde420ea1b48c2f070ae139a71294b3c4c6c768da4279e4fe3bd2a9ff1885
hash6ec07c1d2dc566d59a7576cc4a89c605bcfc8abd414c77338c940fb8e3ed5f1a
hash6ec7acd0ff0980b88801d5eed7dfe69d6349f2044bd5e1768f6d1ed7f403e43e
hash76cf960146bf07ad8b459ceb401a35ed37c98cb4e84ace329595b5b0f3955d3a
hash7e0d909c934620140db7d53e2caefdd58866484cb049f876f8a8428e6334618a
hash88450ae2c0c19d2a3a54e7b2c029998ed3daf68e78fbd664aea50c7ed582f544
hash8f1960939eee8d0689cc07613189f27054beff96e8740045de88fa1b6764b5b5
hash95176fc574f3d707e68965690826759260c5867e865b19a000bebb20a01a2e0a
hash987a94fbe252da32dfb83daeb52d5636bd61d4b88fb45e9a97b79df3c03edcb8
hash9bbe83ec13fc6397ddb69c47a3266ae39b3204d68674b529170bc6b56bcbdfcc
hash9e3334afa4a951c7e6eacc2ce16637919eb113ac1ca5527ece7140ae1f364e76
hash9fa4d8a68d6f231577d62d560d110a66fd3f311cc8dcb1b4b10a50632d03ad1d
hasha3fc5447a9638a3469bab591d6f94ee2bc9c61fc12fd367317eec60f46955859
hashaaf6e40848b904e664cdfbefa1e42870c3e42387471a03361e4fd0781943a032
hashab376fbec6ca90c8cac2fd4ec92c564638bde0e6737a48f687b5367c51f49a0b
hashaefab9c1959c5cb86fd656d9ea2148c584cae543ac203dd2ae4467a36382586a
hashb07ffbd8eed8dc989db1c58d84d3f8b9d57fb6a7b5f30af6d982e2bd4da0e696
hashb7f63771d24f07f5ce30f2a9f8895b815e47ab01a1e3c09322f55c16f140e041
hashbd21360149904ce42c6927d9c3fb482316f2537a4a7bce8b64990428e27a54ac
hashbdb0e1f2582547fdc64a656a813b0e67f8819f96918050f6114b159d7ca7fd69
hashce0019424497040351c9054aa2ee6b07fc610024cc2cb2cc810de80f838c7a14
hashce1a6009f013eafecbe13d72bee044c546654dad3805b7d2744d453e6544ecc8
hashcebe0ce89e4622118371f60cd82a9d0a7659e0916edf522cacba6b308bded8de
hashcf5194e7f63de52903b5d61109fd0d898b73dd3a07512e151077fba23cdf4800
hashd7315bbccff2899c1751c7f7e0e0b48d561366771699f48c90d9b448418856c2
hashda3c6ec20a006ec4b289a90488f824f0f72098a2f5c2d3f37d7a2d4a83b344a0
hashe08cc90e738e7e5f275d220b3914c2860a388e7ada67ed34fda1a01a23bf42bc
hashe6286f5f4c7cdde39c9300d1204ff504499c760bbffa56fc7e3830796537f71b
hashf4bc13b8b76656e4e4b7306d2dc6a5be4e19e752b015bcefbfdcc885a8bb122f
hashf6e323d4741baf047445a13bb9587acfb79cc2b16737b91df18a8a9bf5b307f4
hashf97c7edb0d8d9b65bf23df76412b6d2bbfbab6e3614e035789e4e1a30e40b7f1
hashfc4d1107958f70bd553d824224fc74b3b5ad2365f3599bfda795e0b718f3c76a

Domain

ValueDescriptionCopy
domainadvancedtransmitart.net
domainapdft.net
domaincdasynergy.net
domainclick4pdf.com
domainconvertpdfplus.com
domaineasyonestartpdf.com
domainfastonestartpdf.com
domainfileconverterdownload.com
domaingetsmartpdf.com
domainitpdf.net
domainltdpdf.com
domainltdpdf.net
domainmicromacrotechbase.com
domainmypdfonestart.com
domainonestartbrowser.com
domainpdf-kiosk.net
domainpdfappsuite.com
domainpdfdoccentral.com
domainpdffilehub.net
domainpdfhubspot.com
domainpdfonestarthub.com
domainpdfonestartlive.com
domainpdfonestarttoday.com
domainpdfscraper.com
domainpdfsmartkit.com
domainpdfts.site
domainpdfworker.com
domainproonestarthub.com
domainproonestartpdf.com
domaintransmitcdnzion.com
domaindownload02.apdft.online
domaindownload02.pdfgj.com
domaindownload04.masterlifemastermind.net
domaindownload04.pdfgj.com

Threat ID: 68b05e04ad5a09ad006d2ef7

Added to database: 8/28/2025, 1:47:48 PM

Last enriched: 8/28/2025, 2:05:24 PM

Last updated: 8/31/2025, 6:43:09 PM

Views: 86

Actions

PRO

Updates to AI analysis are available only with a Pro account. Contact root@offseq.com for access.

Please log in to the Console to use AI analysis features.

External Links

Need enhanced features?

Contact root@offseq.com for Pro access with improved analysis and higher rate limits.

Latest Threats