Hackers Bypass Antivirus with ScrubCrypt Tool to Install RedLine Malware

The ScrubCrypt obfuscation tool has been discovered to be utilized in attacks to disseminate the RedLine Stealer malware, and its new variant was being marketed in underground communities.

Threat actors use the ScrubCrypt obfuscation tool to help them avoid detection by antivirus software and initiate attacks that might otherwise be stopped.

RedLine Stealer is a well-known malware that can exfiltrate cryptocurrency wallets and credentials to attack users’ accounts through account takeover and fraud.

This malware aims to compromise accounts by stealing cookies, browser login information, and locally stored login credentials from users.

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The New Build of ScrubCrypt

Through the creation of batch files, ScrubCrypt’s “marketing” presents the add-on to threat actors as a simple means of obfuscating executable files.

“This conversion from the executable file into a batch file—enables threat actors to slip attacks past many preventative measures that might otherwise identify them,” HUMAN’s Satori Threat Intelligence Team shared in a report with Cyber Security News.

Safeguards used by numerous email providers and messaging platforms prevent executable files from appearing as attachments in a primary (non-spam) mailbox. Furthermore, unlike executable files, bat files don’t trigger antivirus software’s detection.

The new build of ScrubCrypt build was offered to threat actors on a few dark web marketplaces, including Nulled Forum, Cracked Forum, and Hack Forums.

The website that is selling and hosting this new build of ScrubCrypt is registered and hosted in Russia, placing it out of the control of US and EU agencies in an attempt to elude law enforcement.

One HUMAN customer was reportedly the subject of this attack via its direct messaging platform. Threat actors had previously used RedLine Stealer to target this platform, but this was the first time they used this particular ScrubCrypt build.

Recommendation

Therefore, it is advised that companies implement safeguards that identify and prevent cookie-stealing attacks and alert users whose credentials have been compromised or stolen by other threats, especially those whose user platforms include direct or private messaging capabilities.

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