Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading cyber security platform provider of AI-powered, cloud delivered solutions, has released its Global Threat Index for October 2024. This month’s report highlights a concerning trend in the cyber security landscape: the rise of infostealers and the sophistication of attack methods employed by cyber criminals.
Last month researchers discovered an infection chain where fake CAPTCHA pages are being utilized to distribute Lumma Stealer malware, which has climbed to 4th place in the Monthly Top Malware rankings. This campaign is notable for its global reach, affecting multiple countries through two primary infection vectors: one involving cracked game download URLs and the other through phishing emails targeting GitHub users as an innovative new means of attack vector. The infection process misleads victims into executing a malicious script that has been copied to their clipboard, showcasing the increasing prevalence of infostealers as an effective means for cyber criminals to exfiltrate credentials and sensitive data from compromised systems.
In the mobile malware sphere, the new version of Necro has emerged as a significant threat, ranking 2nd among mobile malwares. Necro has infected various popular applications, including game mods available on Google Play, with a cumulative audience of over 11 million Android devices. The malware employs obfuscation techniques to evade detection and utilizes steganography, which is the practice of concealing information within another message or physical object to avoid detection, to conceal its payloads. Once activated, it can display ads in invisible windows, interact with them, and even subscribe victims to paid services, highlighting the evolving tactics used by attackers to monetize their operations.
Maya Horowitz, VP of Research at Check Point Software, commented on the current threat landscape, stating, “The rise of sophisticated infostealers underscores a growing reality. Cyber criminals are evolving their methods and leveraging innovative attack vectors. Organizations must go beyond traditional defenses, adopting proactive and adaptive security measures that anticipate emerging threats to counter these persistent challenges effectively”.
