When Malware is Digitally Signed by an Anti-Malware Company

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In October 2024, a sneaky malware campaign started spreading. The threat actors used a message that looked like it came from the Israeli partner of ESET, a well-known anti-malware company. They targeted Israeli businesses and educational institutions. But here’s the catch: the message didn’t show any signs of having malicious content. Analysts who initially checked out the email thought there was nothing fishy about it.

The email warns recipients that their company is being targeted by “state-sponsored threat actors.” It suggests downloading and installing the “ESET Unleashed” app to protect against this threat. The email’s link seems legitimate, pointing to a valid ESET server. The file on the download link contains an executable file (Setup.exe) and four DLL files. Upon closer inspection, it turns out that the DLL files are part of ESET’s anti-virus software, but the EXE file is actually a malicious data wiper but it was digitally signed by ESET.

This malware has an interesting evasion technique. It can crash if it senses it’s running on a virtual machine, making it a difficult to analyze. But persistent malware analysts were able to manage to figure it out. They found that it uses some of the same code as the Yanluowang group, which is a notorious cybercriminal group.


 

This case is intriguing because of how it was spread. The threat actors managed to get into a legitimate server owned by a known anti-malware company and used it to send out emails that authentic-looking emails. They might have even used the certificates on that server to sign the malware, making it look even more authentic. 

Sources:

https://www.securityweek.com/eset-distributors-systems-abused-to-deliver-wiper-malware/

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