December 17, 2023 at 04:44PM
The QakBot malware, previously disrupted by law enforcement, has resurfaced in new phishing campaigns. Microsoft warns of email phishing attacks impersonating IRS employees, distributing QakBot via a malicious PDF file. The malware, initially a banking trojan, has evolved into a delivery service for ransomware attacks and data theft, using various phishing lures.
After reviewing the meeting notes, the key takeaways are as follows:
1. The QakBot malware, also known as Qbot, has reemerged in a phishing campaign after being disrupted by law enforcement over the summer.
2. The malware is being distributed through a phishing campaign pretending to be an email from an IRS employee, using a PDF file attachment that installs the Qakbot malware DLL into memory.
3. Microsoft reported that the new Qakbot payload, generated on December 11th, uses a campaign code of ‘tchk06’ and command and control servers at 45.138.74.191:443 and 65.108.218.24:443.
4. Security researchers have confirmed that the newly distributed Qakbot payload is new and contains minor changes, including the use of AES to decrypt strings and some unusual bugs, indicating ongoing development of the malware.
5. Qakbot, originally a banking trojan, has evolved into a malware delivery service that provides initial access to networks for conducting ransomware attacks, espionage, or data theft.
These clear takeaways summarize the current state of the QakBot malware and its resurgence in phishing campaigns. Let me know if there’s anything else I can assist you with.