This threat involves a malspam campaign identified on September 8, 2016, which distributes malware via email attachments. The campaign uses a social engineering lure with the subject line "New voice mail message from" to entice recipients to open a ZIP archive containing a .wsf (Windows Script File) script. The .wsf file format can execute scripts on Windows systems, often used by attackers to run malicious code without raising immediate suspicion. Upon execution, the malware could perform a range of malicious activities depending on its payload, such as downloading additional malware, stealing information, or establishing persistence. The campaign leverages common tactics of embedding malicious scripts within compressed archives to bypass basic email filters and relies on user interaction to open the attachment and execute the script. The threat level is noted as 3 (on an unspecified scale), and the severity is classified as low by the source. No known exploits in the wild or specific vulnerabilities are associated with this campaign, indicating it primarily relies on social engineering and user action rather than exploiting software flaws. The lack of detailed technical indicators and absence of affected product versions suggest this is a generic malware distribution campaign rather than a targeted or zero-day exploit.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this malspam campaign is the risk of malware infection through user interaction. If successful, the malware could compromise endpoint security, leading to data theft, unauthorized access, or disruption of operations. The campaign's reliance on social engineering means that organizations with less mature security awareness programs are more vulnerable. Although the severity is low, infections can still result in operational inefficiencies, potential data breaches, and increased incident response costs. The campaign does not exploit specific vulnerabilities, so patching is not directly applicable; however, infected systems could be used as footholds for further attacks. The impact is more pronounced in sectors with high email volumes and less stringent email filtering, such as small and medium enterprises or organizations with limited cybersecurity resources.

To mitigate this threat effectively, European organizations should implement targeted measures beyond generic advice: 1) Enhance email filtering capabilities to detect and quarantine emails containing suspicious attachments, especially compressed archives with script files (.wsf, .js, .vbs). 2) Deploy endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting and blocking script-based malware execution. 3) Conduct regular, scenario-based security awareness training focusing on identifying and handling suspicious emails, emphasizing the risks of opening unexpected attachments even if they appear to be legitimate voice mail notifications. 4) Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized script files. 5) Use network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous outbound connections that may indicate malware communication. 6) Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from infections. 7) Disable Windows Script Host where not required to reduce attack surface.