Over a five-month period, multiple malicious campaigns operated through a single bulletproof hosting provider, AS202412 registered to OMEGATECH LTD in Seychelles. These campaigns used disposable domains, fake CAPTCHA pages to trick victims into executing commands, and compromised legitimate websites. The infrastructure included cloud storage, blockchain-resolved command and control addresses, and trojanized installers. Although many victims did not proceed beyond the lure page, successful infections deployed information stealers and remote access tools with persistence mechanisms that survive system reboots.
VectraRAT is a previously undocumented Malware-as-a-Service platform active since August 2022. It consists of a Go-based control server (VectraHub) and a native C++ Windows implant. The malware offers capabilities including hidden desktop control, keylogging, clipboard hijacking with cryptocurrency address replacement, browser credential theft, and a UAC bypass that elevates privileges without user prompts. It is distributed via Amadey loader and ClickFix campaigns using tax-themed lures. Victims include corporate Windows users, including Windows Server 2025, across multiple countries such as the United States, Russia, and Germany. Infrastructure analysis revealed exposed operational panels and directories across various hosting providers.
ESET Research contributed to a global disruption operation targeting the Amadey botnet and Stealc infostealer, both malware-as-a-service offerings. The operation, coordinated by Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit, BitSight, Lumen, and MBSD, impacted approximately 50 domains and nearly 200 active IP-based command and control servers. ESET provided technical analyses, statistical information, C&C server lists, encryption keys, campaign identifiers, and affiliate-level insights gathered from three years of tracking. Both malware families operate through affiliate networks where operators deploy their own infrastructure, making disruption efforts particularly challenging. Amadey primarily functions as a modular loader distributing additional payloads, while Stealc focuses on credential theft from browsers, crypto wallets, and applications. The largest Amadey botnet cluster accounted for 34% of all samples and distributed an average of 14 payloads per victim, operating a pay-per-install model that monetized compromi...
Infostealers remain among the most pervasive cybercrime threats, silently harvesting passwords, cookies, and session tokens that enable enterprise breaches. StealC is a malware-as-a-service infostealer written in C++ that collects credentials from browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, messaging applications, email clients, and gaming platforms while functioning as a secondary loader. Amadey operates as a modular backdoor loader active since 2018, delivering downstream payloads including StealC, Lumma Stealer, and ransomware through various backdoor commands. Both operate on commodity rental models where stolen credentials flow through underground markets to access brokers who resell enterprise access. On June 24, 2026, Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit coordinated with Europol to disrupt over 200 malicious command-and-control domains supporting these operations, using AI-assisted analysis tools including Microsoft Copilot for binary analysis and configuration extraction.
Olymp Loader is a recently emerged Malware-as-a-Service offering advertised on underground forums since June 2025. Developed by a team called OLYMPO, it's written in assembly language and marketed as fully undetectable. The loader executes other malware on victim systems and provides built-in stealer modules for browsers, Telegram, and crypto wallets. It enables rapid feature updates and fast adoption by cybercriminals. The malware has evolved from an initial botnet concept to focus on loader and crypter functionalities. Distribution methods include disguising as legitimate software and using other malware like Amadey as initial access. Post-infection payloads primarily include credential stealers and remote access tools.
A Malware-as-a-Service operation utilizing Amadey for payload delivery has been identified, with connections to a SmokeLoader phishing campaign targeting Ukrainian entities. The operation exploits fake GitHub accounts to host payloads and tools, bypassing web filtering. Emmenhtal, a multistage downloader, is used to download Amadey and other malware. The activity involves various malware families and GitHub repositories for staging custom payloads. Similarities in tactics and indicators between the SmokeLoader campaign and Amadey MaaS activity have been observed. The operation demonstrates adaptability in delivering diverse tooling, including legitimate software like PuTTY. The threat actors employ sophisticated obfuscation techniques and leverage public platforms for malware distribution.
