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[Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/ "Malware") [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) # APAC's Compromised Domains Fuel Emotet Campaign ![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 5 min read Related Products [![Advanced DNS Security icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced DNS Security](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/product-category/advanced-dns-security/ "Advanced DNS Security")[![Advanced Threat Prevention icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced Threat Prevention](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/product-category/advanced-threat-prevention/ "Advanced Threat Prevention")[![Advanced WildFire icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced 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Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Cybercrime](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/cybercrime/) * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [Emotet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/emotet/) * [Malspam](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malspam/) * [Malware-as-a-service](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware-as-a-service/) * [SME](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/sme/) * [WordPress](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/wordpress/) * [![Download 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[Discovered in 2014](https://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/new-banking-malware-uses-network-sniffing-for-data-theft/), Emotet is one of the most prolific malware families, infecting computer systems globally through its mass campaigns of spam email that delivers malware (AKA malspam). These campaigns have been widely documented by many organizations, including how Emotet evolved from being a banking Trojan, [to a malware loader with modular functionalities](https://www.fidelissecurity.com/threatgeek/threat-intelligence/emotet-spreader/). The modular functionality of the malware allows the Emotet operators to install additional malware onto machines that are part of the Emotet botnet. The Emotet operators also provide their botnet as "Malware-as-a-Service" to other cyber-criminal gangs, who install their own malware of choice to the infected systems. For example, Emotet was [recently](https://www.cybereason.com/blog/one-two-punch-emotet-trickbot-and-ryuk-steal-then-ransom-data) used to deliver the [Trickbot](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/trickbot-updates-password-grabber-module/)Trojan, which was then used to deliver the Ryuk ransomware. Given Emotet's destructive capability, incidents within enterprises have cost hundreds and thousands of dollars in recovery costs. The threat of an Emotet infection is significant and it is imperative to understand the Emotet operators' modus operandi to better defend against it. Our new research below reveals that despite the Emotet malspam campaigns going dark towards the end of May, a large number of vulnerable servers of small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) across APAC (primarily Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Australia, China and Japan) are now being exploited by Emotet actors to distribute Emotet variants, primarily due to lack of updating and patching their web servers. Additionally, we found that the majority of these compromised domains are running the WordPress blogging software. As we continue to notice SME's websites being exploited at a high rate across APAC (also observed in [other campaigns](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-compromised-servers-fraud-accounts-recent-hancitor-attacks/)), and being leveraged as malware distribution servers, we were interested to look at the APAC regional numbers specifically for Emotet distribution. Narrowing down per regional country also helps in response efforts with associated national CERTs. #### Emotet Campaign Overview An important aspect to the overall Emotet campaign modus operandi, is the use of compromised legitimate domains to host and distribute the Emotet delivery docs and executables. Looking at the compromised domains, we note that the majority of the domains are SMEs with legitimate businesses. SME organizations often don't update or patch their web servers, likely due to their limited resources. This allows cyber-criminals, like the Emotet actors, to exploit the server-side vulnerabilities and host the malicious Emotet variants that are then delivered via http links, embedded in the malspam campaigns. Figure 1 below gives a high-level overview of how Emotet campaigns infect victim machines. The actors first scan the internet for vulnerable web-servers, which are then exploited and used to host the malicious Emotet variants. The actors then proceed with their email spam campaigns with legitimate-looking themes to lure victims to click on the attached URL that downloads the Emotet delivery document or executable from the compromised domain hosting the malware. In the case of Emotet delivery documents, it typically includes a macro that then downloads and executes the Emotet payload, infecting the victim's machine. Whereas in other cases, Emotet executables are downloaded directly from the compromised domains and infect the victim's machine to join the wider Emotet botnet. ![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/word-image-34.png) *Figure 1. Current depiction of Emotet delivery using distribution servers.* #### Return of Emotet Our data indicates malspam and command and control (C2) activity for Emotet has been active as of September 16, 2019 after a three-and-a-half-month break. This has been confirmed by [media reports](https://www.zdnet.com/article/emotet-todays-most-dangerous-botnet-comes-back-to-life/) through several other sources. While most of the reports published on Emotet's malspam campaign gives a good understanding on the possible number of victims or victim geolocation, we would like to focus on the use of compromised legitimate domains. These are used as distribution servers for Emotet's initial malicious document variants and try and give an understanding on which countries within APAC are largely impacted. APAC Distribution Servers Various criminal groups often use compromised servers from legitimate domains to distribute malware. This is a common tactic, because most networks from legitimate domains are less likely to be blocked by a targeted organization. Therefore, these Emotet Word documents and executable files are far more likely to reach a victim's host. Looking at our datasets and extracting all APAC related domains involved in the spreading of Emotet malware since January 2019, we can see a clear increase in distribution servers used by the Emotet actors since early 2019. As mentioned above, the Emotet malspam campaigns went dark towards the end of May, but it is important to note from Figure 2 that the number of distribution servers used during the month of May was significantly higher than previous months, which may imply that the actors intended to grow their botnet and also possibly profit as much as possible before they took a break. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Figure-2-Emotet-monthly-distribution-servers-since-January-2019-1-1024x558.jpeg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Figure-2-Emotet-monthly-distribution-servers-since-January-2019-1.jpeg) *Figure 2 Emotet monthly distribution servers since January 2019* Drilling down to country-specific domains, we can discern some interesting insights into the most affected countries. As seen in Figure 3 below, the top affected countries are Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Australia, China and Japan, followed by several ASEAN nations. Our data below reveals a large number of vulnerable servers across APAC are exploited by Emotet actors to distribute Emotet variants. This data also indicates that a large number of SME's fail to perform best practices, like patching their systems on a regular basis, resulting in them being exploited and becoming a critical part of the overall success of the Emotet campaign. [![](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Figure-3-Distribution-servers-by-Country-1024x671.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Figure-3-Distribution-servers-by-Country.png) *Figure 3 Distribution servers by Country* It is important to note that the majority of the compromised domains are running the WordPress blogging software. A quick [search](https://www.cvedetails.com/product/4096/Wordpress-Wordpress.html?vendor_id=2337) for W*ordPress* vulnerabilities on vulnerability tracker sites, like "*CVE Details* ", shows the high number of vulnerabilities that have been disclosed for WordPress. A similar [search on "*Exploit-DB*"](https://www.exploit-db.com/) also shows the high number of exploits being published every month in the public domain, allowing anyone to reuse the exploits published. While the understanding of Emotet actors exploiting vulnerable WordPress sites is not new to the security community, it is important to stress and highlight this again to raise the awareness for organizations to patch their web applications as soon as possible and deter threat actors like the Emotet gang to take advantage of the vulnerabilities and avoid a more devastating impact. ## Conclusion While Emotet has been active for a number of years, their ongoing campaign numbers, modular platform, disruptive capability, related incidents and the associated [recovery costs](https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA18-201A) for organizations show that this is one of the most significant cyber threats of the current era. Our emphasis on the distribution servers across the APAC region on this blog was to gain visibility on regional, in-country numbers and also to streamline remediation efforts and raise awareness on how cybercriminals are taking advantage of vulnerable SME's. We also set out to illustrate why it is imperative for SME's to improve their cyber-hygiene on patching their respective web-servers and applications. We are concurrently working with respective, in-country national CERT teams to share the details on the affected compromised domains for possible remediation. Palo Alto Networks customers are protected from this threat. Our [threat prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/solutions/initiatives/threat-prevention) platform detects Emotet malware, with [Wildfire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/secure-the-network/wildfire) while and simultaneously updating the '*malware'* category within the [PAN-DB URL filtering solution](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/threat-detection-and-prevention/web-security) for compromised domains it has identified. [AutoFocus](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/secure-the-network/subscriptions/autofocus) users can track this activity using the [Emotet](https://autofocus.paloaltonetworks.com/#/tag/Unit42.Emotet) tag. IOCs: [https://github.com/pan-unit42/iocs/tree/master/emotet/sha256-hashes](https://github.com/pan-unit42/iocs/tree/master/emotet/sha256-hashes) Back to top ### Tags * [Emotet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/emotet/ "Emotet") * [Malspam](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malspam/ "Malspam") * [Malware-as-a-service](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware-as-a-service/ "malware-as-a-service") * [SME](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/sme/ "SME") * [WordPress](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/wordpress/ "WordPress") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Imminent Monitor -- a RAT Down Under](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/imminent-monitor-a-rat-down-under/ "Imminent Monitor – a RAT Down Under") ### Table of Contents * ### Related Articles * [Spoofed GlobalProtect Used to Deliver Unique WikiLoader Variant](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/global-protect-vpn-spoof-distributes-wikiloader/ "article - table of contents") * [Large-Scale StrelaStealer Campaign in Early 2024](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/strelastealer-campaign/ "article - table of contents") * [Banking Trojan Techniques: How Financially Motivated Malware Became Infrastructure](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/banking-trojan-techniques/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Resources ![Pictorial representation of a magnifying glass illuminating a glowing orange circular digital circuit interface on a dark, high-tech background.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/04_Myth-Busting_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Insights-icon-white.svg)Insights](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/insights/) September 16, 2026 [#### Atomic macOS (AMOS) Stealer Activity](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atomic-macos-amos-stealer-activity/) * [MacOS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/macos/ "macOS") * [Threat intelligence](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/threat-intelligence/ "threat intelligence") * [Unit 42](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/unit-42/ "Unit 42") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atomic-macos-amos-stealer-activity/ "Atomic macOS (AMOS) Stealer Activity") ![Pictorial representation of post-exploitation identity misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE. 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A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip, symbolizing data processing and transfer. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-6-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 9, 2026 [#### Untracked Nightmares: The Threats Hiding Behind Commodity Infrastructure](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ppi-network-malware-campaign-analysis/) * [ARKTunnel](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/arktunnel/ "ARKTunnel") * [C2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/c2/ "C2") * [CL-CRI-1171](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cl-cri-1171/ "CL-CRI-1171") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ppi-network-malware-campaign-analysis/ "Untracked Nightmares: The Threats Hiding Behind Commodity Infrastructure") ![Pictorial representation of attackers using AI tools to target Latin American organizations. A vibrant cityscape with silhouettes of numerous people walking along a bustling street. The scene is illuminated by bright urban lights and digital-like particles, creating a dynamic and futuristic atmosphere.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AdobeStock_768915868-2-1-786x373.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 3, 2026 [#### Attackers Expose Ongoing AI Tool Use Targeting Organizations in Latin America](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-tool-use-targeting-latam-orgs/) * [Agentic AI](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/agentic-ai/ "Agentic AI") * [ChatGPT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chatgpt/ "ChatGPT") * [CL-CRI-1131](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cl-cri-1131/ "CL-CRI-1131") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-tool-use-targeting-latam-orgs/ "Attackers Expose Ongoing AI Tool Use Targeting Organizations in Latin America") ![Pictorial representation of vishing campaigns in Microsoft Teams. A digital image of a skull formed by blue binary code on a black background, with scattered ones and zeros and digital noise, symbolizes how stealthy prompt injection attacks can exploit AI logic to bypass security controls.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/01_Malware_Category_1920x900-5-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 31, 2026 [#### Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/) * [Cloaked Ursa](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloaked-ursa/ "Cloaked Ursa") * [Entra ID](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/entra-id/ "Entra ID") * [Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/microsoft-teams/ "Microsoft Teams") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/ "Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams") ![Pictorial representation of AI-enabled malware. A vibrant digital interface displaying various icons and graphs, resembling a futuristic network or data analysis dashboard. The scene is illuminated with glowing lights and patterns.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1270203474-2-1-786x368.png) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 25, 2026 [#### The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/) * [Backdoor](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/backdoor/ "backdoor") * [Bitcoin](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bitcoin/ "Bitcoin") * [DLL hijacking](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/dll-hijacking/ "DLL hijacking") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/ "The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution") ![Pictorial representation of identity abuse through trusted communication channels. Close-up view of a digital screen displaying a glitched and pixelated image of a skull-like shape.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/02_Malware_Category_1920x900-2-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 20, 2026 [#### Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/) * [Authentication](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/authentication/ "authentication") * [Identity theft](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/identity-theft/ "identity theft") * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware/ "malware") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/ "Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels") ![Pictorial representation of Kimwolf botnet malware family. Digital screen with a warning sign reading "Malware." The background features lines of computer code and graphics, creating a sense of cybersecurity threat.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/07_Malware_Category_1920x900-3-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 11, 2026 [#### Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/) * [Android APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/ "Android APK") * [Ethereum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ethereum/ "Ethereum") * [HTTP](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/http/ "HTTP") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/ "Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet") ![Pictorial representatiom pf Aeternum's blockchain C2. A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-4-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 10, 2026 [#### The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum's Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/) * [Aeternum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aeternum/ "Aeternum") * [Infection chain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infection-chain/ "infection chain") * [JSON](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/json/ "JSON") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/ "The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum’s Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications") ![Pictorial representation of ChainDrop, a self-propagating npm worm. An artistic depiction of a digital workspace featuring an open laptop with a red virus on the screen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03_Malware_Category_1920x900-7-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) August 6, 2026 [#### ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/) * [Blockchain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/blockchain/ "blockchain") * [ChainDrop](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chaindrop/ "ChainDrop") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/ "ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. 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