Unsolicited email containing dangerous keylogging software

In May 2022, a new wave of Snake Keylogger attacks was discovered, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, particularly in the realm of email security.

The Snake Keylogger malware, a potent threat, records keystrokes, captures screenshots, and extracts data from the clipboard. Cybercriminals employ a well-orchestrated email phishing scam and a system vulnerability to install this malicious software.

The success of the Snake Keylogger attack is not surprising, given that it exploits a security gap closed in November 2017. The attack process involves opening a PDF file with an embedded DOCX file, which contains a macro that downloads and executes an RTF file from the Command & Control server.

Email security has emerged as the number one priority for data breach prevention, as it is the primary attack vector for cybercrimes. Traditional email security and antivirus solutions struggle to prevent zero-day attacks, such as the Snake Keylogger, as there are no signatures to recognize them.

One such zero-day malware is the Snake Keylogger, which exploits a Microsoft security vulnerability (CVE-2017-11882) that takes advantage of a remote code execution error in the formula editor. Certain email security threats can bypass sandbox detection, including the Snake Keylogger attack, which employs Delayed Action Execution to avoid detection in such environments.

Trojan horses and macros, often within Microsoft Office documents, are common tools used in the Snake Keylogger attack, often bypassing recognition-based solutions. The new cybercrime campaign discovered by HP Wolf Security uses PDF files to distribute the Snake Keylogger malware, which bypasses recognition-based gateway defense as the potential victim downloads the malware themselves.

To combat these threats, it's crucial to implement measures beyond standard antivirus. This includes monitoring unusual data transmissions such as SMTP usage, implementing behavioral analysis tools to detect keylogging activities and data exfiltration, and employing advanced threat detection.

File disinfection, which cleans potentially malicious files in real-time, embodies the Zero-Trust philosophy by assuming that any file that can host malware also contains malicious code. Solutions like MetaDefender Email Gateway Security could be a suitable solution for securing the email attack vector, integrating into the email data stream and analyzing attachments, content, and integrated hyperlinks using the Anti-Malware Multiscanner, file disinfection, and DLP functions.

According to Verizon's DBIR, there are four main paths for cyberattacks: Known credentials, successful phishing, exploiting vulnerabilities, and botnets. To stay ahead of these threats, a Zero-Trust security approach, which suggests not trusting any device, file, service, or user, either inside or outside your network, is highly recommended. It's also essential to ensure that all systems are updated with the latest patches, such as the one released for the Microsoft security vulnerability (CVE-2017-11882) in November 2017, to prevent such attacks in the future.