The campaign used the DarkMe malware.
A Trojan campaign saw attackers use Telegram to dispatch Trojan spyware, targeting individuals and businesses in the fintech and trading industries.
According to Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis team (GReAT), the malware is designed to steal sensitive data, such as passwords, and take control of users’ devices for espionage purposes.
The infection chain analysis reveals the attackers were most likely attaching malicious archives to posts in Telegram channels. The archives themselves, such as RAR or ZIP files, were not malicious, but they contained harmful files with extensions like .LNK, .com, and .cmd. If potential victims launched these files, it leads to the installation of the final-stage malware, DarkMe, in a series of actions.
Threat actors behind the campaign appear to have targeted victims in the trading and fintech sectors, with victims in more than 20 countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East identified.
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.