SecuriTricks - anti-analysis

Unmasking a Multi-Stage Loader: AutoIt Abuse Leading to Vidar Stealer Command-and-Control Communication

A sophisticated multi-stage infection chain was identified through proactive threat hunting, beginning with the execution of MicrosoftToolkit.exe, a commonly abused hack tool. The attack employed file masquerading techniques, renaming a .dot file to .bat format to evade detection. The malware perfo…

anti-analysis

credential theft

Published: May 11, 2026

Downloadable IOCs: 5

Operation Covert Access: Weaponized LNK-Based Spear-Phishing Targeting Argentina's Judicial Sector to Deploy a Covert RAT

A sophisticated spear-phishing campaign targeting Argentina's judicial sector has been uncovered. The operation uses a multi-stage infection chain to deploy a stealthy Remote Access Trojan (RAT). Attackers exploit trust in court communications by using authentic-looking judicial decoy documents. Th…

Published: January 20, 2026

Downloadable IOCs: 6

Dissecting CrashFix: A New Toy

KongTuke, a threat actor tracked since 2025, has launched a new campaign using a malicious browser extension called NexShield that impersonates uBlock Origin Lite. The extension causes browser crashes and displays fake security warnings to trick users into executing malicious commands. The campaign…

Published: January 17, 2026

Downloadable IOCs: 10

GachiLoader: Defeating Node.js Malware with API Tracing

A new malware distribution campaign utilizing compromised YouTube accounts to spread infostealers has been identified. The campaign employs GachiLoader, a heavily obfuscated Node.js loader, to deploy the Rhadamanthys infostealer. GachiLoader implements anti-analysis techniques and uses a novel PE i…

Published: December 17, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 10

UDPGangster Campaigns Target Multiple Countries

UDPGangster, a UDP-based backdoor associated with the MuddyWater threat group, has been observed targeting users in Turkey, Israel, and Azerbaijan. The malware is delivered through malicious Microsoft Word documents with embedded VBA macros, employing sophisticated anti-analysis techniques to evade…

Published: December 10, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 15

LummaStealer dropped via fake updates from itch.io and Patreon

A malicious campaign targeting indie game platforms like Itch.io and Patreon has been discovered. Attackers are using newly created accounts to spam comments on legitimate games, claiming to offer game updates through Patreon links. These links lead to downloads containing LummaStealer malware. The…

anti-analysis

lummastealer

fake updates

javascript obfuscation

Published: December 8, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 5

Active Water Saci Campaign Spreading Via WhatsApp Features Multi-Vector Persistence and Sophisticated C&C

The Water Saci campaign has evolved, now utilizing an email-based command and control infrastructure and multi-vector persistence for resilience. The new attack chain employs script-based techniques, including VBS downloaders and PowerShell scripts, to hijack WhatsApp Web sessions and automate malw…

Published: October 27, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 37

New Stealit Campaign Abuses Node.js Single Executable Application

A new Stealit malware campaign has been discovered that utilizes Node.js' Single Executable Application feature to distribute payloads. The campaign bundles malicious scripts into standalone binaries, allowing execution without requiring a pre-installed Node.js runtime. The malware is distributed a…

single executable application

stealit

Published: October 11, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 12

New LockBit 5.0 Targets Windows, Linux, ESXi

Trend Research analyzed the latest version of LockBit ransomware, LockBit 5.0, which exhibits advanced obfuscation, anti-analysis techniques, and cross-platform capabilities for Windows, Linux, and ESXi systems. The Windows variant uses heavy obfuscation and packing, loading its payload through DLL…

Published: September 29, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 5

Beyond Signatures: Detecting Lumma Stealer with an ML-Powered Sandbox

This analysis focuses on a new variant of Lumma Stealer, a malware that reemerged after a brief hiatus following a law enforcement operation. The article details the malware's code obfuscation, evasion techniques, and persistence mechanisms. It describes Netskope's machine learning-based detection …

Published: September 25, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 1

Technical Analysis of Zloader Updates

Recent versions of Zloader, a Zeus-based modular trojan, have introduced significant enhancements to its functionality. These updates include improved obfuscation techniques, anti-analysis strategies, and network communication methods. The malware now supports WebSockets and has modified its DNS tu…

Published: September 22, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Technical Analysis of SmokeLoader Version 2025

SmokeLoader, a modular malware loader active since 2011, has resurfaced with new versions in 2025 after Operation Endgame suppressed its activity. The latest variants, 2025 alpha and 2025, include bug fixes and improvements to evade detection. Key changes include a new mutex check in the stager, mo…

Published: September 16, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 24

GPUGate Malware: Malicious GitHub Desktop Implants Use Hardware-Specific Decryption, Abuse Google Ads to Target Western Europe

A sophisticated malware campaign dubbed 'GPUGate' has been uncovered, targeting Western European IT professionals through malicious Google Ads mimicking GitHub Desktop. The attack leverages GitHub's repository structure and a GPU-gated decryption mechanism to evade analysis. The malware, a 128 MB M…

Published: September 8, 2025

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2025-20265 (CVSS 10.0), CVE-2025-7775 (CVSS 9.2)

Downloadable IOCs: 42

Not Safe for Work: Tracking and Investigating Stealerium and Phantom Infostealers

Proofpoint researchers have observed an increase in cybercriminals using Stealerium-based malware, an open-source infostealer available on GitHub. Multiple stealers share code with Stealerium, including Phantom Stealer. Campaigns delivering Stealerium have used various lures and file types, targeti…

Published: September 4, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 8

CTI Analysis: Malicious Email Campaign

An Iran-nexus spear-phishing campaign masquerading as the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs targeted global governments in August 2025. Attributed to Iranian-aligned operators linked to the Homeland Justice group and MOIS, the campaign used compromised mailboxes to send emails with malicious Micros…

Published: September 2, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 15

Phishing Campaign Targeting Companies via UpCrypter

A sophisticated phishing campaign has been identified, utilizing carefully crafted emails to deliver malicious URLs linked to convincing phishing pages. These pages entice recipients to download JavaScript files that act as droppers for UpCrypter, a malware that ultimately deploys various remote ac…

Published: August 26, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 29

New Variant of ACRStealer Actively Distributed with Modifications

A modified version of the ACRStealer infostealer is being actively distributed, featuring enhanced detection evasion and analysis obstruction techniques. The malware uses the Heaven's Gate technique for executing x64 code in WoW64 processes and implements low-level NT functions for C2 communication…

Published: August 21, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Unveiling a New Variant of the DarkCloud Campaign

A new DarkCloud campaign was observed in July 2025, targeting Windows users with a sophisticated infection chain. The attack begins with a phishing email containing a RAR archive, which leads to the execution of obfuscated JavaScript and PowerShell code. This code downloads and deploys a fileless .…

Published: August 8, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 2

New Infection Chain and ConfuserEx-Based Obfuscation for DarkCloud Stealer

Unit 42 researchers have observed changes in the distribution and obfuscation techniques of DarkCloud Stealer. The new infection chain, first seen in April 2025, involves ConfuserEx obfuscation and a final payload written in Visual Basic 6. The attack begins with a phishing email containing an arch…

Published: August 8, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 10

SLOW#TEMPEST Cobalt Strike Loader

An ISO image containing a malicious Cobalt Strike loader was discovered, targeting Chinese-speaking users. The infection chain involves a deceptive LNK file, which executes a legitimate Alibaba executable to sideload a malicious DLL. The loader implements anti-analysis techniques, decrypts an embed…

Published: August 7, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 9

MaaS Appeal: An Infostealer Rises From The Ashes

NOVABLIGHT is a NodeJS-based Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) information stealer developed by a French-speaking threat group. It's sold as an educational tool but used for credential theft and cryptowallet compromise. The malware features heavy obfuscation, multiple anti-analysis techniques, and variou…

Published: July 31, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 8

XWorm V6: Advanced Evasion and AMSI Bypass Capabilities Revealed

A new version of XWorm malware (version 6.0) has been discovered, showcasing advanced features for persistence and evasion. The infection chain begins with a VBScript that downloads and executes a PowerShell script. This script implements an AMSI bypass by modifying CLR.DLL in memory, then download…

Published: July 30, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 4

Evolving Tactics of SLOW#TEMPEST: A Deep Dive Into Advanced Malware Techniques

In late 2024, a new variant of the SLOW#TEMPEST malware campaign was discovered, employing sophisticated obfuscation techniques. The malware is distributed as an ISO file containing multiple files, including a malicious loader DLL and a payload embedded in another DLL. The loader uses DLL side-load…

obfuscated function calls

Published: July 16, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Understanding CyberEYE RAT Builder: Capabilities and Implications

CyberEye is a modular, .NET-based Remote Access Trojan that utilizes Telegram for Command and Control, eliminating the need for attackers to maintain their own infrastructure. It offers a wide array of surveillance and data theft capabilities, including keylogging, file grabbing, and clipboard hija…

windows defender evasion

telegramrat

Published: June 13, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Technical Analysis of TransferLoader

TransferLoader is a newly identified malware loader active since February 2025. It comprises multiple components including a downloader, backdoor, and specialized loader. The malware employs various anti-analysis techniques and code obfuscation to hinder reverse engineering. TransferLoader has been…

Published: May 15, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 7

DarkCloud Stealer: Comprehensive Analysis of a New Attack Chain That Employs AutoIt

Unit 42 researchers have identified a series of attacks distributing DarkCloud Stealer, an information-stealing malware that has been active since 2022. The latest attack chain incorporates AutoIt to evade detection and uses a file-sharing server to host the malware. The infection process begins wi…

Published: May 14, 2025

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2025-31324 (CVSS 10.0)

Downloadable IOCs: 4

Threat Actors are Targeting US Tax-Session with new Tactics of Stealerium-infostealer

Cybercriminals are exploiting the US tax season to deploy Stealerium malware, targeting citizens through sophisticated phishing campaigns. The attack utilizes deceptive email attachments with malicious LNK files, leading to the execution of PowerShell scripts and the download of a PyInstaller-packa…

Published: April 30, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

How Lumma Stealer sneaks into organizations

Lumma Stealer, a sophisticated information-stealing malware, has gained prominence in cybercriminal circles since 2022. It employs various distribution methods, with fake CAPTCHA pages being a notable vector. These pages mimic legitimate services and trick users into executing malicious commands. T…

Published: April 21, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 15

Beware! Fake 'NextGen mParivahan' Malware Returns

A new variant of the fake NextGen mParivahan malware has emerged, exhibiting enhanced stealth and data theft capabilities. The malware, disguised as a government traffic notification system, tricks users into downloading a malicious app that requests extensive permissions. This latest version targe…

Published: April 9, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

NEPTUNE RAT: An advanced Windows RAT with System Destruction Capabilities and Password Exfiltration from 270+ Applications

Neptune RAT, a sophisticated Windows-based remote access trojan, has emerged with advanced capabilities including system destruction and password exfiltration from over 270 applications. It employs PowerShell commands for deployment, leveraging catbox.moe for hosting malicious scripts. The malware …

Published: April 9, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 24

Analysis of Konni RAT: Stealth, Persistence, and Anti-Analysis Techniques

Konni RAT, a sophisticated remote access Trojan targeting Windows systems, employs a multi-stage attack process using batch files, PowerShell scripts, and VBScript. It exploits Windows Explorer limitations, obfuscates file paths, dynamically generates URLs, and uses temporary files to erase activit…

Published: April 1, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Recent Cases of Watering Hole Attacks, Part 1

This analysis focuses on a watering hole attack targeting a Japanese university research laboratory website in 2023. The attack used social engineering to trick users into downloading and executing malware disguised as an Adobe Flash Player update. The malware, identified as a modified Cobalt Strik…

flashupdateinstall.exe

university

Published: December 20, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2022-1388

Downloadable IOCs: 10

Raspberry Robin Analysis

Raspberry Robin, a malicious downloader discovered in 2021, has been circulating for years, primarily spreading through infected USB devices. It stands out due to its unique binary-obfuscation techniques, extensive use of anti-analysis methods, and privilege escalation exploits. The malware uses mu…

Published: November 19, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2021-31969, CVE-2024-26229

Downloadable IOCs: 126

Recent Keylogger Attributed to North Korean Group Andariel

A new keylogger, attributed to the North Korean group Andariel (APT45), has been linked to targeted attacks against U.S. organizations. The malware captures keystrokes and mouse activity, storing data in an encrypted archive. It employs anti-analysis techniques like code obfuscation through junk co…

Published: November 4, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 1

CoreWarrior Spreader Malware Surge

This report delves into an analysis of CoreWarrior, a persistent trojan designed for rapid propagation. It creates multiple copies of itself, attempts connections to various IP addresses, opens backdoor access, and hooks Windows UI elements for monitoring purposes. The malware employs techniques li…

Published: October 15, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 3

VILSA STEALER

A new malware called Vilsa Stealer has emerged on GitHub, notable for its speed and efficiency in extracting sensitive data. This sophisticated tool targets browser credentials, tokens, and various application data. It supports major browsers and over 40 crypto wallets, using Python as its programm…

Published: October 7, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 3

Zharkbot Strings

Zharkbot is a C++ downloader with extensive anti-analysis and anti-sandbox features. It uses in-line string encryption and API calls, making static and emulation analysis challenging. The malware performs sandbox detection by checking for specific usernames and hypervisors. It installs itself in th…

Published: September 3, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 2

REPLAY: Revisiting Play Ransomware Anti-Analysis Techniques

This analysis revisits the anti-analysis techniques employed by recent variants of the Play ransomware, which is known for targeting industries like healthcare and telecommunications across various regions. The report explains how the ransomware utilizes techniques like return-oriented programming …

Published: August 9, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 4

DarkGate: Dancing the Samba With Alluring Excel Files

This analysis delves into a DarkGate malware campaign from March-April 2024 that exploits Microsoft Excel files to retrieve malicious payloads hosted on public-facing SMB file shares. It sheds light on the evolving tactics of this threat, which creatively abuses legitimate tools and services for di…

Published: July 11, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-3400

Downloadable IOCs: 37

Dissecting GootLoader With Node.js

This article demonstrates how to circumvent anti-analysis techniques employed by GootLoader malware while utilizing Node.js debugging in Visual Studio Code. GootLoader JavaScript files employ an evasion technique that can pose a formidable challenge for sandboxes attempting to analyze the malware. …

Published: July 4, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 2

Cyberespionage Group Earth Hundun's Continuous Refinement of Waterbear and Deuterbear

This comprehensive analysis delves into the continuous evolution and refinement of sophisticated malware entities employed by a persistent cyberespionage group targeting organizations in the Asia-Pacific region. The malware, known as Waterbear and its latest iteration, Deuterbear, have undergone si…

Published: May 21, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 29

Stealer Distributed via Crafted Minecraft Source Pack

This report details the operation of the zEus stealer malware, which is distributed through a crafted Minecraft source pack. The malware collects sensitive information from victims' systems, including login credentials, browser data, and cryptocurrency wallets. It employs anti-analysis techniques a…

Published: May 8, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 23

Zloader Learns Old Tricks

Zloader (a.k.a. Terdot, DELoader, or Silent Night) is a modular trojan based on leaked ZeuS source code. Zloader has continued to evolve since its resurrection around September 2023 after an almost two-year hiatus. The latest version, 2.4.1.0, introduces a feature to prevent execution on machines t…

Published: April 30, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 8

Fletchen Stealer: An Information Stealer with Sophisticated Anti-Analysis Measures

This in-depth analysis examines Fletchen stealer, an advanced information-stealing malware featuring potent anti-analysis capabilities. It explores the malware's tactics for data harvesting from compromised systems, exfiltration methods, and measures to evade detection. The report emphasizes the dy…

Published: April 29, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 13

Tag: anti-analysis

Attack reports

Unmasking a Multi-Stage Loader: AutoIt Abuse Leading to Vidar Stealer Command-and-Control Communication

Direct-Sys Loader and CGrabber Stealer Five-Stage Malware Chain

DTO malware that takes notes

COVERT RAT: Phishing Campaign

Unmasking Agent Tesla: A Deep Dive into a Multi-Stage Campaign

Technical Analysis of GuLoader Obfuscation Techniques

Technical Analysis of Marco Stealer

When Malware Talks Back

Operation Covert Access: Weaponized LNK-Based Spear-Phishing Targeting Argentina's Judicial Sector to Deploy a Covert RAT

Dissecting CrashFix: A New Toy

GachiLoader: Defeating Node.js Malware with API Tracing

UDPGangster Campaigns Target Multiple Countries

LummaStealer dropped via fake updates from itch.io and Patreon

Active Water Saci Campaign Spreading Via WhatsApp Features Multi-Vector Persistence and Sophisticated C&C

New Stealit Campaign Abuses Node.js Single Executable Application

New LockBit 5.0 Targets Windows, Linux, ESXi

Beyond Signatures: Detecting Lumma Stealer with an ML-Powered Sandbox

Technical Analysis of Zloader Updates

Technical Analysis of SmokeLoader Version 2025

GPUGate Malware: Malicious GitHub Desktop Implants Use Hardware-Specific Decryption, Abuse Google Ads to Target Western Europe

Not Safe for Work: Tracking and Investigating Stealerium and Phantom Infostealers

CTI Analysis: Malicious Email Campaign

Phishing Campaign Targeting Companies via UpCrypter

New Variant of ACRStealer Actively Distributed with Modifications

Unveiling a New Variant of the DarkCloud Campaign

New Infection Chain and ConfuserEx-Based Obfuscation for DarkCloud Stealer

SLOW#TEMPEST Cobalt Strike Loader

MaaS Appeal: An Infostealer Rises From The Ashes

XWorm V6: Advanced Evasion and AMSI Bypass Capabilities Revealed

Evolving Tactics of SLOW#TEMPEST: A Deep Dive Into Advanced Malware Techniques

Understanding CyberEYE RAT Builder: Capabilities and Implications

Technical Analysis of TransferLoader

DarkCloud Stealer: Comprehensive Analysis of a New Attack Chain That Employs AutoIt

Threat Actors are Targeting US Tax-Session with new Tactics of Stealerium-infostealer

How Lumma Stealer sneaks into organizations

Beware! Fake 'NextGen mParivahan' Malware Returns

NEPTUNE RAT: An advanced Windows RAT with System Destruction Capabilities and Password Exfiltration from 270+ Applications

Analysis of Konni RAT: Stealth, Persistence, and Anti-Analysis Techniques

Recent Cases of Watering Hole Attacks, Part 1

Raspberry Robin Analysis

Recent Keylogger Attributed to North Korean Group Andariel

CoreWarrior Spreader Malware Surge

VILSA STEALER

Zharkbot Strings

REPLAY: Revisiting Play Ransomware Anti-Analysis Techniques

DarkGate: Dancing the Samba With Alluring Excel Files

Dissecting GootLoader With Node.js

Cyberespionage Group Earth Hundun's Continuous Refinement of Waterbear and Deuterbear

Stealer Distributed via Crafted Minecraft Source Pack

Zloader Learns Old Tricks

Fletchen Stealer: An Information Stealer with Sophisticated Anti-Analysis Measures