Information-stealing malware has been on the rise since the start of 2022. Many malware campaigns were conducted and millions of people were attacked within the first quarter of 2022.
However, Researchers at Armorblox found a recent phishing campaign that was done through WhatsApp voice notes as the context. The main motto of this campaign is to deliver information-stealing malware to the victim which is achieved by making the victim follow a few steps with the voice note.
As per reports, this campaign had been delivered to nearly 27,655 emails. This information-stealing malware will target sensitive information like SSH keys, cryptocurrency wallets, and even files stored in the system.
WhatsApp Voice note in Email?
WhatsApp voice has been used since its introduction in 2013. This email campaign is based on the voice note option in WhatsApp. The phishing email consists of a body that states “New private Voicemail” with a Play button in it.
However, the sender ID domain indicates that the email originated from a server owned by the Center for Road Safety of the Moscow Region (cbddmo.ru). This proves that the email server has been compromised for promoting this phishing campaign.
When the user clicks on the “Play” button, it redirects to a page that asks for a prompt from the browser to “Allow”. The page has a note, “CLICK <<ALLOW>> TO CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT”. People who are unaware of this will click on Allow which will subscribe to browser ads that display scams, adult sites, etc.
Along with it, it will also prompt the user to install malware which is the information-stealer.
Even though this involves the use of WhatsApp mail to promote the campaign, WhatsApp does not have any connection with this. WhatsApp does not own responsibility for the domain and the landing page which was used.
In order to bypass Gmail’s VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) checks, the attackers did not use the logo of WhatsApp.
How to Protect?
- Check for the email domains
- WhatsApp voice is auto-downloaded on the device
- Do not click on pages that give you prompts in a suspicious way
- Always go to the official website to get any information relating to your account.
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