Bermuda Post

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Microsoft Warns 'Adrozek' Malware is Infecting Thousands of PCs to Insert Ads

Microsoft Warns 'Adrozek' Malware is Infecting Thousands of PCs to Insert Ads

'We recorded hundreds of thousands of encounters of the Adrozek malware across the globe, with heavy concentration in Europe and in South Asia and Southeast Asia,' Microsoft said.

A new malware strain has been spreading to hundreds of thousands of Windows PCs in an effort to inject unauthorized ads into users’ search results, according to Microsoft.

The company has been tracking "Adrozek," a malware family capable of modifying multiple browsers including Google’s Chrome, Microsoft’s Edge and Mozilla’s Firefox in order to insert the ads into search result pages.

“At its peak in August, the threat was observed on over 30,000 devices every day,” Microsoft warned in a blog post on Thursday.

Inserting the ads into your search results is certainly annoying. But the real threat is how the malware can also steal login credentials from the Firefox browser, and potentially give hackers a launching pad for more damaging crimes.

Adrozek works by modifying a browser’s Dynamic Link Libraries or DLL files to change the settings, including turning off the security safeguards and the automatic updates. The result can place links to ads alongside legitimate ads, as the example below shows.



“The intended effect is for users, searching for certain keywords, to inadvertently click on these malware-inserted ads, which lead to affiliated pages,” Microsoft said. “The attackers earn through affiliate advertising programs, which pay by amount of traffic referred to sponsored affiliated pages.”

To deliver the malware, the hackers have been resorting to drive-by downloads. This can occur when a user clicks on a malicious link or visits a website that’s been tampered with. The PC will trigger the malware to download, which can sometimes install itself on the computer by exploiting a software vulnerability.

Hence, it’s a good idea to always keep your browser up to date. In other cases, the user will install the malware from a drive-by download, believing it to be a safe program.



In this case, Adrozek will drop an .exe file in the PC’s “temp” folder. The .exe file will then deliver the main malware payload in the “Programs Files” folder using a file name such as “Audiolava.exe, QuickAudio.exe, and converter.exe,” Microsoft said.

The company tracked Adrozek’s distribution to 159 unique domains, which hosted tens of thousands of URLs to try and spread the malware.

“In total, from May to September 2020, we recorded hundreds of thousands of encounters of the Adrozek malware across the globe, with heavy concentration in Europe and in South Asia and Southeast Asia,” Microsoft added. “As this campaign is ongoing, this infrastructure is bound to expand even further.



Although the malware is so far aimed at inserting unauthorized ads, Microsoft is concerned Adrozek could one day be used for more malicious crimes, such as redirecting users to scam websites. The good news is that the company’s built-in Windows Defender antivirus can detect and block Adrozek.

“End users who find this threat on their devices are advised to re-install their browsers,” the company added.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
'I just lost it' Lowe’s worker fired after 13 years of employment for confronting thieves trying to steal $2K of merchandise
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
×