Threats Tagged 'steganography'

Phantom Stealer is a .NET-based credential-harvesting malware that collects browser credentials, saved passwords, session cookies, cryptocurrency wallet files, and system fingerprints from infected machines. Distributed through phishing emails, cracked software, and malicious links on Discord and Telegram, it employs multiple loader variants including steganography-based delivery and PowerShell shellcode injection. The malware uses extensive anti-analysis techniques including virtualization detection, API patching to disable AMSI and ETW, and timing-based sandbox evasion. It targets Chromium and Gecko-based browsers, cryptocurrency wallets, FileZilla credentials, WinSCP configurations, and Outlook profiles. Additional capabilities include keylogging, screen capture, clipboard monitoring with cryptocurrency address replacement, and Wi-Fi credential theft. The malware achieves persistence through registry Run keys or Startup folder entries.

Between late April and mid-June 2026, Microsoft observed heightened ACR Stealer activity targeting enterprise environments through ClickFix social engineering lures. This information-stealing malware, associated with Amatera Stealer rebranding and offered as malware-as-a-service, deployed through two distinct campaigns. The first utilized WebDAV-delivered payloads with Python loaders and blockchain-based command-and-control resolution. The second employed a fileless approach using MSHTA and steganography-concealed payloads within images. Both campaigns harvested browser credentials, authentication tokens, and sensitive documents from compromised systems. Threat actors leveraged obfuscated PowerShell scripts, scheduled task persistence, and in-memory execution techniques to evade detection. Notable tactics included masquerading as legitimate software updates, utilizing Windows DPAPI for credential decryption, and targeting PDF and Microsoft 365 documents. The blockchain dead-drop technique enabled dynamic i...

A DPRK-aligned threat group is targeting developers through fake job postings and coding challenges in a campaign tracked as REF9403. Attackers post fake job offers in developer forums, then send trojanized repositories containing fully functional e-commerce projects with malicious code hidden using steganography inside SVG flag images. When developers run these projects, the malware deploys four-stage payloads aligned with OTTERCOOKIE: a browser credential and cryptocurrency wallet stealer, a file exfiltration module, a Socket.IO-based remote access trojan, and a clipboard stealer. The campaign was discovered after targeting Elastic's community Slack workspace. Multiple trojanized repositories were found with zero antivirus detections at the time of discovery, demonstrating the sophistication of this supply chain attack vector against software developers.