Nasty Windows worm spreads to hundreds of networks via infected USB drives
Whoever is behind the worm is yet to use it
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A dangerous Windows worm has found its way into hundreds of corporate networks,Microsofthas discovered.
As reported byBleepingComputer, the Redmond giant privately notified companies subscribed toMicrosoft Defender for Endpointof its findings. The security advisory explained that, although themalware(named Raspberry Robin) had not yet been leveraged, it has been observed connecting to multiple addresses on the Tor network.
Raspberry Robin was first identified late last year, when researchers from Red Canary discovered a “cluster of malicious activity”. The malware is usually distributed offline, via infectedUSB drives. After analyzing an infected thumb drive, the researchers discovered that the worm spreads to new devices via a malicious .LNK file.
Unknown threat actor
Once the victim plugs in the USB drive, the worm will trigger a new process through cmd.exe, and run the file on the compromisedendpoint.
To reach out to its command and control (C2) server, the researchers further state, the worm uses Microsoft Standard Installer (msiexec.exe). They speculate theserveris hosted on a compromised QNAPNAS device, with TOR exit nodes being used as extra C2 infrastructure.
Cybersecurity experts at Sekoia also observed it using QNAP NAS devices as C2 servers late last year.
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“While msiexec.exe downloads and executes legitimate installer packages, adversaries also leverage it to deliver malware,” the report states. “Raspberry Robin uses msiexec.exe to attempt external network communication to a malicious domain for C2 purposes.”
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The researchers are yet to attribute the malware to a specific threat actor, and are not exactly sure what the goal of the malware is. Right now, as it’s not being actively used, it’s anyone’s guess.
“We also don’t know why Raspberry Robin installs a malicious DLL,” the researchers said a few months back. “One hypothesis is that it may be an attempt to establish persistence on an infected system, though additional information is required to build confidence in that hypothesis.”
ViaBleepingComputer
Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.
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