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# NodeStealer 2.0 -- The Python Version: Stealing Facebook Business Accounts

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  * [Lior Rochberger](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/lior-rochberger/)

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  Published:August 1, 2023

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  * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/)
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  * [Facebook](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/facebook/)
  * [Infostealer](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infostealer/)
  * [NodeStealer](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/nodestealer/)
  * [Phishing](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/phishing/)

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## **Executive Summary**

Unit 42 researchers have recently discovered a previously unreported phishing campaign that distributed an infostealer equipped to fully take over Facebook business accounts. Facebook business accounts were targeted with a phishing lure offering tools such as spreadsheet templates for business. This is part of a growing trend of threat actors targeting Facebook business accounts -- for advertising fraud and other purposes -- which emerged around July 2022 with the discovery of the [Ducktail](https://www.withsecure.com/en/expertise/research-and-innovation/research/ducktail-an-infostealer-malware) infostealer.

About eight months later, in March 2023, [FakeGPT](https://labs.guard.io/fakegpt-new-variant-of-fake-chatgpt-chrome-extension-stealing-facebook-ad-accounts-with-4c9996a8f282), a new variant of a fake ChatGPT Chrome extension that steals Facebook Ad accounts, was reported. Unit 42 also reported on [ChatGPT-themed scam attacks](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chatgpt-scam-attacks-increasing/) in April 2023. In May 2023, a report from Meta of new information-stealing malware named [NodeStealer](https://engineering.fb.com/2023/05/03/security/malware-nodestealer-ducktail/) surfaced, which described malware that was [compiled in July 2022](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/fbb887dbcbac146adde68ae15bf0fadab144f2ed60e2db62a6acf5f13e31b80e/detection) and malicious activity involving NodeStealer that was identified in January 2023. NodeStealer allowed threat actors to steal browser cookies to hijack accounts on the platform, specifically aiming toward business accounts.

While investigating the growing trend, we came across a campaign that started around December 2022, and has not been previously reported.

The infostealer distributed in the campaign shares multiple similarities with the NodeStealer variant compiled in July 2022 that Meta analyzed, which was written in JavaScript. However, the new campaign involved two variants written in Python, improved with additional features to benefit the threat actors. The threat actor equipped these variants with cryptocurrency stealing capabilities, downloader capabilities and the ability to fully take over Facebook business accounts.

NodeStealer poses great risk for both individuals and organizations. Besides the direct impact on Facebook business accounts, which is mainly financial, the malware also steals credentials from browsers, which can be used for further attacks.

In this article, we will shed some light on the unreported phishing campaign targeting Facebook business accounts and will provide a deep dive analysis of the malware. In addition, we will show the execution of the malware through the lens of Cortex XDR (set to detect-only mode). We will provide recommendations for how Facebook business account owners can protect their accounts.

While this specific campaign is no longer active, we have indications that the threat actors behind it may continue to use and evolve NodeStealer or use similar techniques to continue targeting Facebook business accounts. It is also possible that there may be ongoing effects for previously compromised organizations.

Palo Alto Networks customers also receive protections against NodeStealer in the following ways:

* Organizations can engage the [Unit 42 Incident Response](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html) team for specific assistance with this threat and others.
* [Cortex XDR](https://docs-cortex.paloaltonetworks.com/p/XDR) and [XSIAM](https://docs-cortex.paloaltonetworks.com/p/XSIAM) agents help protect against the threats discussed in this article, providing a multilayer defense that includes behavioral threat protection and exploit protection.
* The [Advanced WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/wildfire) cloud-delivered malware analysis service accurately identifies known samples related to these threats as malicious.
* [Advanced URL Filtering](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-url-filtering?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) and [DNS Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/dns-security?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) identify URLs and domains associated with this campaign as malicious.
* [Next-Generation Firewall](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/ngfw) with [Advanced Threat Prevention](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/advanced-threat-prevention/administration) security subscriptions can help block samples.

| **Related Unit 42 Topics** | [**Infostealer**](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infostealer/), **[Phishing](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/phishing/)** |
|----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

## **Phishing Campaign**

From the telemetry available to us, the main infection vector for the infostealer was a phishing campaign. The phishing campaign took place around December of 2022 and was used for delivering two variants of the stealer, which we will refer to as Variant #1 and Variant #2. The differences between them will be described in the next sections of this article.

The main theme of the campaign was advertising materials for businesses. The threat actor used multiple Facebook pages and users to post information luring victims to download a link from known cloud file storage providers. After clicking on it, a .zip file was downloaded to the machine, containing the malicious infostealer executable.
![Image 1 is a screenshot of a Facebook post by the Rational Media Group posted on December 26, 2022. The post text reads “Free 60 day 1,000 professional Excel templates. Ultimate monthly budget spreadsheet template for Google Sheets, financial planner dashboard, budget template, spending tracker, debt tracker.” There is a link to download via tinyurl.com. The end of the URL has been blurred. There is a screenshot of what the templates look like and a download button to a Google Drive file.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-1.png) Figure 1. Facebook phishing post luring victims to download the infected .zip file.

## **Variant #1 Analysis**

The first variant of the infostealer in the campaign was internally named word.exe. It was compiled with [Nuitka](https://github.com/Nuitka/Nuitka), and the threat actor used a unique product name for the files: Peguis.
![Image 2 is a screenshot is a screenshot of the metadata for word.exe. It includes the signature info and the signature verification, including the information that the file was not signed, and the final version information, which includes the product, description, original name, internal name, and the file version.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-2.png) Figure 2. Metadata for word.exe.

Variant #1's process tree is quite "noisy," meaning it creates multiple processes and performs many actions that are considered as indications of abnormal activity, and not very clandestine, including pop-up windows presented to the user.

### Main Features

As mentioned earlier, NodeStealer targets Facebook business accounts. Variant #1 has some additional features that enable it to do much more than that. Here are the main features of Variant #1:

* Stealing Facebook business account information
* Downloading additional malware
* Disabling Windows Defender via GUI (graphical user interface)
* MetaMask (cryptocurrency wallet) theft

#### Stealing Facebook Business Account Information

The first thing the malware does when executing is check if there is a Facebook business account logged in to the default browser on the infected machine. It does that by connecting to https://business.facebook.com/ads/ad\_limits/ and checking the header.
![Image 3 screenshot of many lines of code of Facebook's Graph API. Three areas are highlighted in red where information is being stolen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-3.png) Figure 3. Stealing information using Facebook's Graph API.

If there is indeed a Facebook business account logged in, the malware connects to the Graph API -- graph.facebook.com -- with the user ID and the access token stolen from the header.

[According to Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/graph-api/), "The Graph API is the primary way to get data into and out of the Facebook platform. It's an HTTP-based API that apps can use to programmatically query data, post new stories, manage ads, upload photos, and perform a wide variety of other tasks."

NodeStealer uses the Graph API to steal information about the target, including: followers count, user verification status, account credit balance, if the account is prepaid, and ads information.

The malware also gets the content of a Facebook JavaScript module AdsLWIDescribeCustomersContainer by sending a request to https://www.facebook.com/ajax/bootloader-endpoint/?modules=AdsLWIDescribeCustomersContainer.react.

This JavaScript module is a part of Facebook's advertising platform and is used for describing and managing custom audiences in Facebook Ads. Custom audiences allow advertisers to target specific groups of people based on their demographics, interests, behaviors or other criteria. The malware steals this information and sends it to its command and control server (C2).

In addition to stealing information about the Facebook business account, the malware also aims to steal those accounts credentials. In order to do so, it checks for Facebook users and passwords within the cookies and local databases of the following browsers: Chrome, Edge, Cốc Cốc, Brave and Firefox.
![Image 4 is screenshot of many lines of code. Highlighted in three areas in red is where passwords are being stolen from multiple browser databases.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-4.png) Figure 4. Stealing passwords from browsers' databases. ![Image 5 is a shot of the Cortex XDR program of the alerts for the execution of NodeStealer. The column on the left shows the alert names. The column on the right shows the description of the alert. There are five alerts in total.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-5.png) Figure 5. Alerts for the execution of NodeStealer, as shown in Cortex XDR.

The malware then exfiltrates the output files through Telegram and deletes the files to remove its tracks:
![Image 6 is a screenshot of many lines of code. Three areas are highlighted in red. This is where the malware exfiltrates output files through Telegram.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-6.png) Figure 6. Exfiltration through Telegram. ![Image 7 is a screenshot of the tracks being removed by NodeStealer.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-7.png) Figure 7. Tracks removal by NodeStealer.

#### Downloading Additional Malware

Variant #1 is configured to download two .zip files from the following URLs:

* hxxps://tinyurl\[.\]com/batkyc, which redirects to hxxp://adgowin66\[.\]site/ratkyc/4/bat.zip
* hxxps://tinyurl\[.\]com/ratkyc2, which redirects to hxxp://adgowin66\[.\]site/ratkyc/4/ratkyc.zip

Bat.zip contains the [ToggleDefender](https://github.com/AveYo/LeanAndMean) batch script that disables Windows Defender, and Ratkyc.zip contains three pieces of malware:

* [BitRAT](https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.bit_rat) named COM Surrogate.exe
* A hidden virtual network computing (hVNC) RAT named Antimalware Service Executable.exe
* [XWorm](https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.xworm) named Host Process for Windows Tasks.exe

In order to download the .zip files, the malware implements the [FodHelper UAC bypass](https://winscripting.blog/2017/05/12/first-entry-welcome-and-uac-bypass/). Using this method, the attackers attempt to bypass User Account Control (UAC) and execute the PowerShell scripts used to download the above-mentioned zip files.
![Image 8 is a screenshot of many lines of code. Two areas are highlighted in red. This is where the FodHelper UAC bypass encoded command is in NodeStealer.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-8.png) Figure 8. FodHelper UAC bypass encoded command in NodeStealer.

The base64 compressed command translates to the following:

![Line 1 dollar sign OMG = "powershell.exe -w h -NoP -NonI -Exec Bypass -enc dollar sign code "; Line 2 reg add "HKCU\\Software\\Classes.omg\\Shell\\Open\\command" / d dollar sign OMG forward slash f; Line 3 reg add "HKCU\\Software\\Classes\\ms-settings\\CurVer" forward slash d ".omg" / f; Line 4 fodhelper.exe; Line 5 Start - Sleep - s 3; Line 6 reg delete "HKCU\\Software\\Classes.omg" forward slash f;reg delete " HKCU \\ Line 7 Software \\ Classes \\ ms - settings \\ " forward slash f;](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-9.png)

Below is the execution flow of Variant #1, when Cortex XDR is set to detect-only mode:
![Image 9 is a screenshot of a tree diagram in Cortex XDR. It is the execution flow of the first variant of the NodeStealer malware.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-10.png) Figure 9. Execution flow for Variant #1, as shown in Cortex XDR, set to detect-only mode.

After downloading and extracting the files, NodeStealer sets persistence for the three pieces of malware (BitRAT, the hVNC RAT, and XWorm), as well as for its own binary (word.exe), via the registry run keys.

#### Disabling Windows Defender via GUI

Besides the ToggleDefender batch script, Variant #1 uses another technique to disable Windows Defender, this time using the GUI. This is a very noisy approach, since the end user would be able to see the Windows Defender GUI pop up on the machine and the malware acting to disable it.

The commands used to open the GUI and disable Windows Defender are shown in Figure 10 below.
![Image 10 is a screenshot of many lines of code. These are the commands used to disable Windows Defender.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-11.png) Figure 10. Commands used to disable Windows Defender.

#### MetaMask Theft

The malware also tries to maximize financial gain by stealing [MetaMask](https://metamask.io/) credentials from Chrome, Cốc Cốc and Brave browsers.

MetaMask is an extension for accessing Ethereum Wallets through the browser. Stealing credentials for this application allows the attackers to steal cryptocurrency from the user's wallets.

Just as it did in stealing Facebook cookies and credentials, the malware extracts the local databases used to store browsers' information. It searches within them for the extension nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn, which is the extension of MetaMask when installed directly from the extension store.

Then, the malware copies the data into a file and exfiltrates it using Telegram, in the same fashion it did with the Facebook credentials.
![Image 11 is a screenshot of many lines of code where the malware steals MetaMask credentials from the Brave browser. MetaMask is a cryptocurrency wallet.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-12.png) Figure 11. Stealing MetaMask credentials from a Brave browser.

## **Variant #2 Analysis**

The second variant of the infostealer in the campaign was internally named MicrosofOffice.exe and was compiled with [Nuitka](https://github.com/Nuitka/Nuitka), same as the first variant. Unlike the first variant, it does not generate a lot of activity visible to the unsuspecting user. For this variant, the threat actor used the product name "Microsoft Coporation" (originally misspelled by the malware authors).
![Image 12 is a screenshot of the metadata of variant 2 of the NodeStealer malware. It includes the signature info and the signature verification, including the information that the file was not signed, and the final version information, which includes the product, description, original name, internal name, and the file version.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-13.png) Figure 12. Metadata of Variant #2 masquerading as MicrosofOffice.exe.

### Main Features

Like the first variant, Variant #2 targets Facebook business account information and MetaMask wallets, but it goes beyond by:

* Attempting to take over the Facebook account
* Implementing anti-analysis features
* Stealing emails

#### Taking Over the Facebook Account

Variant #2 attempts to purchase an online email service provided by a legitimate Vietnamese website (hotmailbox\[.\]me). It attempts to do so using an embedded API key that holds a credit balance for that specific service: https://api.hotmailbox\[.\]me/mail/buy?apikey=\<redacted\>\&mailcode=HOTMAIL\&quantity=1.
![Image 13 is a screenshot of many lines of code. Code highlighted within a red box has some redacted information blurred. Here is where the NodeStealer variant is attempting to purchase a mailbox service.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-14.png) Figure 13. Purchasing mailbox service from hotmailbox\[.\]me. ![Image 14 is a screenshot of a browser address where some of the information has been redacted and is blurred. It also includes a line of code, which is the credit balance for the API key used by the malware.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-15.png) Figure 14. Credit balance for the API key used by the malware.

If the purchase attempt is unsuccessful, the malware tries to purchase a mailbox service from another Vietnamese website (dongvanfb\[.\]net), again, using an API key that holds a dedicated credit balance --- https://api.dongvanfb\[.\]net/user/buy?apikey=\<redacted\>\&account\_type=1\&quality=1.

![Image 15 is a screenshot of many lines of code where the malware attempts to purchase a mailbox service service from a.net address. Highlighted in red is the specific action, with some of the information redacted and blurred.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-16.png) Figure 15. Purchasing mailbox service from dongvanfb\[.\]net. If the purchase attempt succeeds, the malware saves the email and password for the new mailbox, which will be used in the next phase of the campaign.

Next, the malware modifies the account email address for the Facebook business account of the victim, using a [technique](https://en.veryfb.com/d/45-modifying-the-account-email-address-without-verifying-the-password) that doesn't require verifying the password using the following URL: https://www.facebook\[.\]com/add\_contactpoint/dialog/submit/.

If needed, the malware sends a request to get the Facebook authentication code via email by sending a request to: https://getcode.hotmailbox\[.\]me.

![Image 16 is a screenshot of many lines of code. Highlighted in red is where the malware requests a Facebook authentication code from the mailbox provider.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-17.png) Figure 16. Code for requesting the Facebook authentication code from hotmailbox\[.\]me. The malware then checks the updated email to see if the modification was successful:

![Image 17 is a screenshot of many lines of code where the malware checks the updated email for the Facebook account. This is highlighted in red.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-18.png) Figure 17. Checking the updated email for the Facebook account.

If successful, the attackers have now taken over the Facebook account by replacing the legitimate user's email address with a mailbox under their control.

#### Reading Emails

In addition, the malware has a [function that parses emails](https://www.thepythoncode.com/code/reading-emails-in-python), so it can read the victim's emails. It is possible that the threat actor added this functionality to potentially interfere with any Facebook alerts notifying the victim of the configuration changes, though we did not directly observe activity of this kind.
![Image 18 is a screenshot of many lines of code. It is the function responsible for reading emails. Highlighted in red are four different areas that underline the process.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-19.png) Figure 18. Function that is responsible for reading emails.

#### Anti Analysis and Anti VM

In several samples of Variant #2 that were analyzed, the threat actor added a simple function to check for the presence of several malware analysis tools and virtual machine processes. If one of them is running on the system, the malware terminates itself.
![Image 19 is a screenshot of many lines of code with two areas highlighted in red. The first highlighted area is the blacklisted process, and the second is exit(0). This is the anti-virtual machine and anti-analysis function.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-20.png) Figure 19. Anti-VM and anti-analysis function.

## **Differences Between the NodeStealer Variants**

As mentioned above, there are similarities between the two variants of NodeStealer analyzed in this article, but there are many differences as well. To put things into order, below is a table that compare the main features of NodeStealer in the version reported by Meta, as well as those found in the different variants:

|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| **Feature**                                    | **Variant #1**                                                                                          | **Variant #2**                                                                                          | **Old Variant of NodeStealer** \*According to [Meta](https://engineering.fb.com/2023/05/03/security/malware-nodestealer-ducktail/) |
| Stealing Facebook business account information | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png)                            |
| Stealing browsers' data                        | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png)\*excluding Cốc Cốc         |
| Taking over the Facebook account               | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)       | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |
| Using Telegram for exfiltration                | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |
| Reading emails                                 | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)       | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |
| Downloading additional malware                 | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)       | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |
| Disabling Windows Defender                     | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)       | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |
| MetaMask theft                                 | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |
| Anti analysis                                  | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)       | ![green check](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-46.png) | ![red x](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-47.png)                                  |

*Table 1. Comparison of NodeStealer and the two variants.*

## **Vietnamese Threat Actor**

Interestingly, both Ducktail and NodeStealer [were previously suspected](https://engineering.fb.com/2023/05/03/security/malware-nodestealer-ducktail/) by Meta to originate from threat actors based in Vietnam.

The suspected connection between the NodeStealer malware and a Vietnamese threat actor can be explained in different ways.

The first finding that may indicate this connection is that in the Python script of both variants analyzed in this blog, we came across many strings in Vietnamese. For example, see Figures 20 and 21.
![Image 20 is two images. The first is a screenshot of code. The first string is highlighted in red: “TongChiTieu.” The second image is the same string translated in Google Translate. The Vietnamese language has been detected. Translated to English, it means “Total Spend.”](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-48.png) Figure 20. Translation of the string "TongChiTieu" found in NodeStealer. ![Image 21 is two images. The first is a screenshot of code. The first string is highlighted in red: “ThoiGianCheck.” The second image is the same string translated in Google Translate. The Vietnamese language has been detected. Translated to English, it means “Check Time.”](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-49.png) Figure 21. Translation of the string "ThoiGianCheck" found in NodeStealer.

The second indication of the suspected connection to threat actors based in Vietnam is that the attackers targeted a browser named Cốc Cốc, which describes itself as "the web browser and search engine for Vietnamese people" on its [About Us page](https://coccoc.com/en/about-us?ref=www.google.com).
![Image 22 is the Wikipedia description for the Cốc Cốc browser. It is software and is a freeware web browser focused on the Vietnamese market. It was developed by Vietnamese company Cốc Cốc, and based on Chromium open source code. It is available for Windows, Windows Phone, Android, and macOS operating systems, and supports both English and Vietnamese. There is a link to Wikipedia.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-50.png) Figure 22. Wikipedia description for Cốc Cốc software.

The third indication of a suspected Vietnamese connection to NodeStealer was found in Variant #2. This variant, as described earlier in the article, attempts to purchase an online mailbox service from two different Vietnamese websites: Hotmailbox\[.\]me and Dongvanfb\[.\]net.

## **Conclusion**

In this article, we uncovered a campaign of the NodeStealer malware that targets Facebook business accounts. As part of the campaign, two variants of NodeStealer were discovered, Variant #1 and Variant #2. Analyzing the two variants revealed some interesting behavior of the malware that includes doing much more than its original intentions, all likely to increase the potential profit for the threat actor.

The threat actor, who is suspected to be of Vietnamese origin, provided the new variants with cryptocurrency stealing capabilities, downloader capabilities and the ability to fully take over Facebook business accounts. The potential damage for both individuals and organizations can be reflected not only in financial loss, but also in reputation damage for a target.

We encourage all organizations to review their protection policies and use the indicators of compromise (IoCs) provided in this report in order to address this threat. Facebook business account owners are encouraged to use strong passwords and enable multifactor authentication. Take the time to provide education for your organization on phishing tactics, especially modern, targeted approaches that play off current events, business needs and other appealing topics.

## **Protections and Mitigations**

[SmartScore](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/security-operations/beating-alert-fatigue-with-cortex-xdr-smartscore-technology/), a unique ML-driven scoring engine that translates security investigation methods and their associated data into a hybrid scoring system, scored an incident involving NodeStealer an 86 out of 100, as shown in Figure 23. This type of scoring helps analysts determine which incidents are more urgent and provides context about the reason for the assessment, assisting with prioritization.
![Image 23 is a screenshot of SmartScore. It is the scoring grade of an incident that involves NodeStealer. The score is 86 and explains the scoring and provides a list of detailed insights.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-51.png) Figure 23. SmartScore information about an incident involving NodeStealer.

For Palo Alto Networks customers, our products and services provide the following coverage associated with this threat:

* [WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/secure-the-network/wildfire?_gl=1*nq7ug8*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTcyNDAwMC4zMC4xLjE2Njk3MjQwNjEuNjAuMC4w), our cloud-based threat analysis service, accurately identifies the samples as malicious.
* [Advanced URL Filtering](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-url-filtering?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) and [DNS Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/dns-security?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) identify URLs and domains associated with this group as malicious.
* [Next-Generation Firewall](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/ngfw) with [Advanced Threat Prevention](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/advanced-threat-prevention/administration) security subscriptions can help block samples.
* [Cortex XDR](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xdr?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) detects user- and credential-based threats by analyzing user activity from multiple data sources, including endpoints, network firewalls, Active Directory, identity and access management solutions, and cloud workloads. It builds behavioral profiles of user activity over time with machine learning. By comparing new activity to past activity, peer activity and the expected behavior of the entity, Cortex XDR detects anomalous activity indicative of credential-based attacks.

![Image 24 is two screenshots of Cortex XDR prevention alerts. Cortex XDR has blocked a malicious activity. For both screenshots, it shows the application name, application, publisher, and the prevention description. The end-user can see the details, or just hit OK.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/word-image-129362-52.png) Figure 24. End user notification for blocking both NodeStealer variants.

It also offers the following protections related to the attacks discussed in this post:

* Prevents the execution of known malicious malware, and prevents the execution of unknown malware using [Behavioral Threat Protection](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/secure-the-network/subscriptions/threat-prevention?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) and machine learning based on the Local Analysis module.
* Protects against credential gathering tools and techniques using the new Credential Gathering Protection available from Cortex XDR 3.4.
* Cortex XDR Pro [detects post-exploit activity](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xdr/cortex-xdr-analytics-alert-reference/cortex-xdr-analytics-alert-reference/analytics-alerts-by-required-data-source), including credential-based attacks, with Cortex Analytics and the ITDR module.

If you think you may have been impacted or have an urgent matter, get in touch with the [Unit 42 Incident Response team](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html?_gl=1*13pmp8e*_ga*NzQyNjM2NzkuMTY2NjY3OTczNw..*_ga_KS2MELEEFC*MTY2OTczNjA2MS4zMS4wLjE2Njk3MzYwNjEuNjAuMC4w) or call:

* North America Toll-Free: 866.486.4842 (866.4.UNIT42)
* EMEA: +31.20.299.3130
* APAC: +65.6983.8730
* Japan: +81.50.1790.0200

Palo Alto Networks has shared these findings, including file samples and indicators of compromise, with our fellow Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA) members. CTA members use this intelligence to rapidly deploy protections to their customers and to systematically disrupt malicious cyber actors. Learn more about the [Cyber Threat Alliance](https://www.cyberthreatalliance.org/).

## **Indicators of Compromise**

### URLs

* hxxps://tinyurl\[.\]com/batkyc
* hxxp://adgowin66\[.\]site/ratkyc/4/bat.zip
* hxxps://tinyurl\[.\]com/ratkyc2
* hxxp://adgowin66\[.\]site/ratkyc/4/ratkyc.zip

### Free 1,000 professional Excel templates.rar

* 1a4e8bcf7dc4ad7215957210c8e047f552b45a70daf3d623436940979c38f94c
* 92657c3a108bbedc6f05b4af0a174e99a58e51e69c15c707d9c9cc63cdf1b4ea
* fed5ea7840461984fa40784d84ed1a0961cbf48b03d8b79c522286bf6e220922

### Word.exe

* 001f9d34e694a3d6e301a4e660f2d96bc5d6aa6898f34d441886c6f9160d9e48
* fa5b9b72f248e1f79b3a424b61a1bcce8bf6a99452545cfe15d7211f3eb3e93b
* 44dabadbf099bdb28fdc4d86cebe53c00085c9c2ad52df4d4774320409e7358b
* 1998492619c1fc6a5b78d5c4c6beb05c582a1be6ad2b9ac734179c731bbcf5cc
* e856cc78ce1603547bb6fdb3eb9da137f671e9547c072abea63b0248ec82ecb1
* 6d12c657ee403272cb3115fd0a6cf1ffe69cd4476c5a03bbc13c624ddd153518
* a6509563be7a8569e05198858658b8934d7bc5ad3d41e9806e261995c99a6acf
* a8adea800186dd52173dc6e55c46aa0b3619bef3eee25b17b7edba9353d5d08e
* f61403729e3f4e212411db486a537eabca2d0b84be21b789cddca4fc3aa85923
* 3fff146c3e50a7ddc7e446ae51742c59c3d3277931f3c511d9651497e4ab14a7
* 9a551426cbb2cd7aded923f277eec195a282913d51c41f1791683e03a85379e0
* a8608b8537338659943802bd4c3f37465b6b7146c60088e890f1201452690510
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* 22d57a535c226b514da92d0dcc902f0029414c5f2b1141bc14ac9a057c791414
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* 4316a560734e68303860899d0f2b07a9ef4618647da2e8ad38bab70a4e532f88
* fe434fff6becc2d829bbfed6ba9bf88154028d0327e7c6aa870ad050235fc334
* b87ead56ff364a052619c373b8c06d2150561196f87e584590f67a341ba78abc
* 92eba1a137918f99fbe15651568b8b76ad5f59788b1bce9076bfb33bbc3484de
* 1ada42adb9ee65aa02d5eb9d24d3455df61c85f69e84f310b9630d62ca83a518
* 6777bbf5fd14eb1a7e81de33c477ac5ba4f446699df447995e8d362a8438a0a3
* d12196087135b9383a4e9820d27625c059511c4776593a4d2eb83409a96af3a5
* ea96973f3d71cccad26bce7f106f5800fcb007cf33d82fa00f5d564994397153
* f31e2c430d4a8b17b45591bf68e5c4c7f7c28e4ccbd4cabcd10c33ba14b388c3
* f80700c220246238507cf5eedcb2e1397c32b3646bb90ad990e7fb69199752b5
* 415d70be7a2e3ae8fd2babc929c3110fce7ce66d23ec32c473c6aab73c5c00f8
* 4932514acfad25c7b2a1631706aef8d91a415315e5207e1bc9a24791298e6319
* 9ecba5aa60b9c202b1c69aade1edabb1c04072471a3618a5d714aa8833d570f4
* 38cbccea7c9f3032a8348e54bb94871b26279a7cca64f5b79c3fa54c240960d2
* 4f91fdf024b54ad650c13f7ffe1a7f3eb6cad66eb457e8a7fe494cf9bdb6f42a

### MicrosofOffice.exe

* 3ab41e160854a686baf56e5032b933778663c37e03d148d3bf669a6c3228f6da
* 565bc8725a1ae03e534f66ad8995854d24ba3893fe37c8e3e13c58874129849b
* c8fee685d506575138c8b02f118323ca586f62a6e80edf1d726fd555a1c386ba
* 91b975e87d8d6469683168a48ca0bc11a333e3f5692f224d33f2008573173cc6
* 5049de4c58ea923723389e4d732f1c134dc38582971f4872593e1153db945078
* b2d44e572933ff26977e25a254c0ce705939fac9f422871fd22a875323487bcf
* e90f31c41a64ce85abfa284126e63b693088934fd83ef8fea13724810f394efa
* 3064aa87c463adda7752b84cd18e2e859723a9953e090f7757edf7ce4b96e536
* 3366f47822b72445aa06d2e2c455dd4816e5df2f83e7bd03f21e77b1cb2b8948
* a9aae05b05f42bd3d1f9d7894a68db976977573741ddcdf6f388b7d685765564
* bf3b35d225b2ec555ad06eb1dd0af464bb48596bebb0b2543eaf9e060f0fb1b9
* 6660776dfecf917cfbd51a0fa853052005f3d4a136c1edce0a3d6b7002c3f48e
* cc03f53a7a85d9b1b28a6422556b295cb9b00e93b5afc96559140f32f96305e9
* d4f8813b0aba21d6021719d022fcc6feab5cdd6e2a999dfe178347a394abfb84
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* bb500217f8940a3491cb69a26d10b5753e3ef1fab59909d88a12dba44344df1e
* 2fdac894299a2889c36959e34bacd3898029974af1b2f60552534454c54bd976
* bb8a127d9f8eb5c598617682a4ab29ee023ae8f40428c6076b0b493116eca8bb
* 7aa48f6531c6d6dd7b60a4c6d10cacc69bdee98034b25379a04a8e308dece36f
* 1ebba84f9352bd171f241bc5d0e06af3145a050fd3e063c503d78085aeba2c34
* cfb50c7fe40334c1f52759a08289e36be0ada9056e3dcb22898efd8187b6464d
* 9a6eae518100361b3e3fd4f34877623af5544e2b95cdf29a7e9e2d91e4baa271
* d9524819eeb3ef9268d526703af8a7921a5d98429341834eb84f04b9edb34b64
* f51880293a2bd24da4182965ad5c9b4936eab23a20ed0b4264b75d6c3a3eeac5
* d117bdaeee8d1f3cca5c685930f19754b82ffbd6de8f2a6dc1895fee1a00e220
* bf71b31e2612441e28df35f7e4ae56616ded9c6802758b010007b49e05876011
* 61237de2472bbf39086a18d462fd5fd9649292d17fe630f1dd550159e26d711e
* 31038f33d8d757c19050d41e62036a85026bbe99d37fd806fdde7f261fd2651b
* f4b6a051789ba7b245db69a3b56dee1404b3f9eff9c7e7c80c54328bedcc44e9
* cdcaf4ecae94421503364d28ef72eb65a83f300980cd1a8ba02bea1c29e193ec
* b78a980b66327c4e45f95f2e0fc2dbaffebcac00107cd16ac2d2c2a42618e645
* f2548fd9d622dae1b21e18323a2d8dca2f7670789dfbb5f6d32320f4fd289039
* 65669e873a3732f1617c9c80667a1c3efda5f72538b5abd475e80a25efc0e5e2
* 3984a025b7fb7c5ada86da0b4fa32bef88eb2a01fb337a7f73619cb716c859ab
* 0d313ad0b46218acfc25fae744b53eb539169e56f9976eec47f37d99ebce510c
* 834215c7226d28be513562991cacd7f56f4914b8ae1e27ff3ae85ca82e208605
* fddb2fc6c63d33500f3ef0d8c3fe212abe21044820a2524379904131e7f11765
* 86424c0a908fc3d651d86bc7c3d87ce38ef626516f48a160e2cfcf2630a1e9b8
* 9f85de94a15c5c93a88375d9aacb9f9e111cedec611ee4f2b58a53727db92a88
* 825379e514d1a0383120735c4c19530a3d4130d5e77ff51b7bb2eb3b6ca1d704
* 9274f0391add4a1ac7c90942628a9fd80a9fca3d11aabb74b4e385eee4f66354
* 45a6c41111677c6374899475aa253f713a08158ce9b5dbd7566e15eda1e61a0a
* c37ee014b97eddbd9060e6bc3a27ec5de2c37a03c45f3a50fd9420a847145a20
* 1ed522e66e9ddcc97ded3e008c014500e3c3e22a1db995199baa52a7dc93845b
* 843028f3054707843ebc650a01b1ded0414d6933525cb056cf5a66a49afe3022
* fd47754e9476d5d5969cd1c2db1a4d3203ab50e4b92e31bc7cc02945b8d2857e
* 774bb5ed2bcb6ebd9cbd6b53e4dc1a352df58dfda17ef11da9c8ffa4d4851681
* 283570b242e8de90f3ad4b9f332c03eefc3c8464981d1ad072cc061f9e29ce97
* 1cf31091a0e6d9dade4675497593d04815d7ba22b0b018d06358211f3429ab49

### Bat.zip

* 1f093f818d2d3bd146c34d10bdb9de0a33931d3586f0bb942f881052a20114f9

### Ratkyc.zip

* 14000dc5c64ad50e534739afa86ce37c30b04a8aba48feb0f645b0a74b545744

Back to top

### Tags

* [Facebook](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/facebook/ "Facebook")
* [Infostealer](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infostealer/ "Infostealer")
* [NodeStealer](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/nodestealer/ "NodeStealer")
* [Phishing](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/phishing/ "phishing")  
  [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Threat Brief: Multiple Vulnerabilities Including Zero-Day Remote Unauthenticated API Access -- CVE-2023-35078 -- in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (Updated)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/threat-brief-cve-2023-35078/ "Threat Brief: Multiple Vulnerabilities Including Zero-Day Remote Unauthenticated API Access – CVE-2023-35078 – in Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (Updated)")

### Table of Contents

* 

### Related Articles

* [Russian Global Webmail Espionage](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/russian-webmail-espionage/ "article - table of contents")
* [Phantom Squatting: AI-Hallucinated Domains as a Software Supply Chain Vector](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/phantom-squatting-hallucinated-web-domains/ "article - table of contents")
* [OpenClaw's Skill Marketplace and the Emerging AI Supply Chain Threat](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/openclaw-ai-supply-chain-risk/ "article - table of contents")

## Related Malware Resources

![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")  
  ![Pictorial representation of Token-jacking. A person types on a laptop with multiple digital interface elements projected, including an "AI" icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1246251272-2-786x369.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 6, 2026 [#### Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/)

* [AI API](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-api/ "AI API")

* [AI gateway](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-gateway/ "AI gateway")

* [API keys](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/api-keys/ "API keys")  
  [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-token-jacking/ "Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources")  
  ![Pictorial representation of malware bypassing DNS and communicating directly to IP addresses. Futuristic digital cityscape with glowing blue and orange geometric structures, resembling skyscrapers.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/07_DNS_Overview_1920x900-786x368.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 4, 2026 [#### Almost Half of Malware Samples Communicate Direct to IP](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/malware-bypass-dns-direct-to-ip/)

* [Command and Control](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/command-and-control/ "Command and Control")

* [D2IP](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/d2ip/ "D2IP")

* [Exfiltration](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/exfiltration/ "exfiltration")  
  [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/malware-bypass-dns-direct-to-ip/ "Almost Half of Malware Samples Communicate Direct to IP")  
  ![Pictorial representation of passwordless authentication. East Asian woman examining data on multiple screens in a high-tech environment, surrounded by digital graphics and code.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/07_Cloud_cybersecurity_research_Overview_1920x900-786x368.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 3, 2026 [#### Pass the Passkey: A Novel Attack Surface in Passwordless Authentication](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/passwordless-authentication-security-risks/)

* [Google authenticator](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/google-authenticator/ "google authenticator")

* [Google Chrome](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/google-chrome/ "Google Chrome")

* [Google Cloud](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/google-cloud/ "Google Cloud")  
  [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/passwordless-authentication-security-risks/ "Pass the Passkey: A Novel Attack Surface in Passwordless Authentication")

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