INTERNET: Infected machines are mainly used to mine cryptocurrencies
Two new security reports claim that malware creators are now using WAV audio files to spread viruses to their victims’ computers and smartphones. We are talking here about steganography, the art of hiding certain information in another data medium. In this case, the main thing is to hide a file or text – malicious code – in another file, saved in a different format – a WAV audio file.
The most common cause is the concealment of malicious code at the heart of an image file, but it seems that malicious people have developed another type of concealment. Now, as revealed by the reports of security researchers from Symantec and Blackberry Cylance that ZDnet had access to, malware is broadcast through WAV audio files.
By doing so, hackers can bypass security software and deploy on computers. According to cases identified by security researchers at Symantec, hackers use this method to spy on users whose computers are infected. In other cases, the trick is used to undermine cryptocurrency without the knowledge of PC owners .
A sophisticated method
According to Josh Lemos, vice president of research at BlackBerry Cylance, this proves that cryptomination malware authors are gaining sophistication. “The use of steganography techniques requires a thorough understanding of the format of the target file,” he told ZDnet . It is usually used by sophisticated actors who wish to remain undetected for a long time.
A sophistication that should not push users and security software to defend against all types of files, it would not be relevant for software and it would make navigation for users impossible. On the other hand, security software must focus on detecting the entry point or infection of the malware that uses steganography to break into a machine.
