StealC malware has resurfaced as Stadia, a remote access trojan (RAT) that incorporates StealC's original code. Stadia extends capabilities beyond simple data theft to include hidden desktop control, live command shell, file management, process management, and in-memory loading. It communicates via plain HTTP to hardcoded IPs using RC4 encryption with Base64 encoding and persists through hidden scheduled tasks in randomized directories mimicking legitimate updaters. The operator targets former StealC customers with subscription offers. No official patches or fixes are available, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported.
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...
Global law enforcement, including agencies from the Netherlands, Canada, United States, and Germany, coordinated Operation Endgame to disrupt TA569, a prominent cybercriminal group tracked since 2018. The operation targeted SocGholish infrastructure, taking down over 100 servers and domains while remediating 14,971 compromised websites. TA569 pioneered web inject techniques using fake browser updates to distribute malware, often leading to ransomware attacks. The group compromised high-traffic websites across multiple industries, affecting millions of visitors globally. Their attack chains involved traffic distribution systems like Keitaro TDS and ParrotTDS, delivering GhoLoader payloads that could lead to ransomware deployment in enterprise environments. Law enforcement actions included server disruption and website disinfection, significantly impacting the threat actor's operations, infrastructure, and reputation within the cybercriminal ecosystem.
A multinational law enforcement operation called Operation Endgame has successfully disrupted SocGholish, a malware framework operated by threat actor TA569 since 2017. The operation took down 106 servers and domains and remediated nearly 15,000 compromised WordPress websites. SocGholish uses fake browser update prompts on compromised websites to trick victims into downloading malicious JScript payloads, providing initial access to corporate networks for ransomware deployment and data breaches. Analysis revealed that 55% of Infoblox cloud customers were exposed to SocGholish in 2026, demonstrating widespread impact across multiple industries including government, education, and healthcare. The framework employs domain shadowing techniques and operates through a four-stage attack chain involving traffic acquisition, filtering, fake update lures, and on-device implant execution. SocGholish infrastructure has facilitated access for various ransomware families and has been extensively used by the notorious Evi...
A critical vulnerability named DanaBleed was discovered in DanaBot's C2 server, causing memory leaks from June 2022 to early 2025. This bug, introduced in version 2380, exposed sensitive information including threat actor details, server data, and victim credentials. The leak resulted from uninitialized memory in the C2 protocol update. Researchers gained insights into DanaBot's operations, infrastructure, and affiliates. In May 2025, law enforcement dismantled DanaBot's infrastructure and indicted 16 individuals in Operation Endgame. The blog details the technical analysis of the vulnerability, its impact, and the type of data exposed through the memory leak.
International law enforcement agencies have taken additional actions in Operation Endgame, targeting cybercriminal organizations, particularly those behind DanaBot. DanaBot is a powerful modular malware family written in Delphi, capable of keylogging, capturing screenshots, recording desktop videos, exfiltrating files, injecting content into web browsers, and deploying second-stage malware. It operates as a Malware-as-a-Service platform, enabling various attacks. DanaBot has been used in targeted attacks against government officials in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and for DDoS attacks against Ukrainian servers. The malware implements a custom binary protocol encrypted with RSA and AES, and uses hardcoded C2 servers with Tor as a backup communication channel. Over 50 nicknames have been associated with DanaBot affiliates.
