Microsoft says attackers use exposed ASP.NET keys to deploy malware
Microsoft warns that attackers are deploying malware in ViewState code injection attacks using static ASP. NET machine keys found online. [...]
The Malware tag covers malware families, infrastructure analysis, incident impact, disruption efforts, and defensive guidance to reduce cybersecurity risk.
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Background for this topic.
Malware is software intentionally created or modified to perform unauthorized or harmful actions on a computer, device, or network. The term covers distinct families and functions, including viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, botnet clients, and ransomware; a single sample may combine several capabilities. Its behavior—not its label—determines the security concern: it may execute code, persist, alter or encrypt data, steal credentials, or provide unauthorized remote access.
For practitioners, malware reporting is most useful when it identifies the family or tool conservatively and provides evidence such as affected platforms, samples, infrastructure, or observed behavior. Defenses include promptly patching vulnerable software, restricting execution and privileges, monitoring endpoints and networks, maintaining tested backups, and isolating suspected systems for analysis. Detection should use behavior and verified indicators rather than names alone, since variants change. If malware processes personal or regulated data, investigations should also address privacy, evidence preservation, and applicable reporting obligations.
Microsoft warns that attackers are deploying malware in ViewState code injection attacks using static ASP. NET machine keys found online. [...]
Hackers are targeting vulnerable SimpleHelp RMM clients to create administrator accounts, drop backdoors, and potentially lay the groundwork for ransomware attacks. [...]
Microsoft has released a PowerShell script to help Windows users and admins update bootable media so it utilizes the new "Windows UEFI CA 2023" certificate before the mitigations of the BlackLotus UEFI bootkit are enforced later this year. [...]
A Chinese hacking group is hijacking the SSH daemon on network appliances by injecting malware into the process for persistent access and covert operations. [...]
Threat actors are taking advantage of the rise in popularity of the DeepSeek to promote two malicious infostealer packages on the Python Package Index (PyPI), where they impersonated developer tools for the AI platform. [...]