Threats Tagged 'websocket c2'

BraZetsu is a Python-based Windows malware framework used by the Brazilian threat actor Exilware. It functions as a toolkit for Initial Access Brokers, converting compromised systems into assets for sale in underground markets. The malware targets corporate, financial, industrial, and law enforcement sectors primarily in Iberia and Latin America. It harvests financial transaction files in the Brazilian CNAB format, browsing histories, and digital certificates. BraZetsu supports the 'Infected Marketplace' where initial access is sold to criminal clients for further exploitation. Since early 2026, it has rapidly evolved to include AI-enhanced reconnaissance and advanced evasion techniques. There is no indication of known exploits in the wild or available patches.

MediumMalwareUnited StatesArgentinaBrazil+3#ousaban#latin america#cnab targeting

RemControl is an Android banking trojan first observed in July 2026 that targets financial institutions across Western Europe, the Middle East, and Canada. The malware is distributed through fake Google Play Store pages advertising TVTap, an IPTV application, using malvertising campaigns with geo-targeted delivery. Once installed, the dropper creates a local VPN to block Play Protect checks and generates unique signing certificates per installation. RemControl exploits Android Accessibility Service permissions to display phishing overlays for over 30 banking applications, capturing PINs, mobile banking codes, and card details. The malware includes remote control capabilities, screen streaming, keylogging, and lock-screen pattern capture. It operates as Malware-as-a-Service with infrastructure showing evidence of AI-assisted development in phishing page creation and documentation.

MediumMalwareCanadaItaly#android trojan#ai-assisted development#phishing overlays

ChainScript is a Node.js remote access trojan (RAT) identified by Blackpoint's Adversary Pursuit Group. It masquerades as legitimate software such as Spotify, Zoom Workplace, and Microsoft Teams via malicious Windows Installer packages. The malware uses a Polygon blockchain smart contract to dynamically discover its command and control (C2) infrastructure, allowing operators to rotate backend services without rebuilding agents. ChainScript offers extensive remote access features including shell access, file operations, screenshots, payload deployment, cryptocurrency wallet discovery, remote JavaScript execution, self-updating, and cleanup. Multiple builds with different names share the same core architecture.

A campaign identified by the Socket Threat Research team involves 19 malicious browser extensions (18 for Chrome, 1 for Edge) active since February 2024. These extensions deliver a modular malware framework that communicates with command and control servers via WebSocket, strips Content Security Policy headers, and uses cross-site scripting (XSS) injection to execute payloads. The primary goal is to steal cryptocurrency wallet secrets and drain crypto assets, as well as harvest credentials. The threat actor either creates malicious extensions from scratch or compromises legitimate extensions with existing user bases, such as the 'Enable Right Click & Copy' extension with tens of thousands of users. The campaign, named 'Superior,' shows sophisticated and evolving capabilities targeting multiple cryptocurrency platforms and exchanges.

A sophisticated macOS campaign has been discovered using a fake Zoom installer to deploy Overlord RAT, an open-source remote access framework. The attack employs a .NET-based downloader disguised as ZoomMeetings, representing an uncommon approach for macOS threats. The multi-stage attack fingerprints the victim's system to deliver platform-specific payloads for macOS ARM64, macOS Intel, or Windows from attacker-controlled infrastructure. The second stage deploys Overlord RAT with extensive capabilities including keylogging, screen capture, audio and webcam access, filesystem manipulation, and remote desktop streaming. The malware communicates with command-and-control servers over encrypted WebSockets and maintains persistence through LaunchAgents. The campaign shares characteristics with previous North Korean operations, including similarities to FlexibleFerret malware and the Contagious Interview campaign.

Insikt Group identified four new malware families from TAG-195 (Golden Chickens, Venom Spider), a financially motivated malware-as-a-service developer. The families include TinyEgg, a lightweight initial-access backdoor; ChonkyChicken, which expands capabilities with browser credential theft and session automation; a modularized ChonkyChicken variant using controller-and-plugin architecture; and ChromEggscalator, a modified Chrome encryption-bypass tool. TAG-127 has been observed deploying TinyEgg via ClickFix campaigns using fake security verification pages. The modular architecture reduces static detection exposure and enables selective capability provisioning to operators. All families share consistent architectural traits including WebSocket command-and-control, Run key persistence, string obfuscation, and execution via legitimate Windows binaries. This represents a deliberate architectural transition toward operator-driven tooling within the TAG-195 MaaS ecosystem.

A sophisticated multi-stage malware campaign targets victims through tax-themed phishing emails impersonating Indian and Japanese government authorities. The operation leverages social engineering, fraudulent tax notifications, and trusted third-party email delivery services to distribute ZIP archives containing three staged payloads. The malware implements advanced evasion techniques including DLL Search Order Hijacking, API hooking, token manipulation, Mersenne Twister-based execution logic, COM callback execution, mutated RC4 encryption, and reflective PE loading. Execution occurs primarily in memory, significantly reducing forensic artifacts. The malware establishes persistent WebSocket-based command-and-control communication through HTTP protocol upgrades, allowing malicious traffic to blend with legitimate activity. Chinese-language artifacts were observed throughout the infrastructure and code, though attribution remains at moderate confidence. The campaign demonstrates characteristics of a mature, ...

MediumCampaignBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryIndiaJapan#websocket c2#dll hijacking#government impersonation