MyAgent

MyAgent is a sophisticated piece of malware that seems to have been created to engage in industrial espionage. MyAgent is a Trojan infection that targets companies in four key sectors of the economy: defense, technology, chemicals and aerospace. In fact, these four industries are commonly the largest targets for most malware attacks. ESG security researchers recommend organizations in these industries to take extra measures to protect their IT infrastructure. Most importantly, individuals working within these organizations should also take care to safeguard their own personal accounts and computers. Criminals will often attack individuals' private accounts, seeing them as a weak link that could potentially give them access to corporate computers and accounts. MyAgent can be detected by anti-malware software that is fully up to date as of the writing of this report.

The Consequences of MyAgent Trojan Infection

By studying MyAgent's code, ESG security researchers have determined that MyAgent has been created to attack corporate networks and computers. Like most Trojans, MyAgent cannot spread on its own and requires a social engineering approach in order to convince the victims themselves to download and install this threat. MyAgent spreads using a malicious email attachment. Disguised as a harmless PDF file, MyAgent will be distributed in an executable file that uses a known vulnerability in Adobe Systems' software. Once example of a MyAgent infection is distributed in a PDF file named 'Health Insurance and Welfare Policy.' Opening this malicious PDF file installs an executable file named ABODE32.exe in the infected computer's TEMP folder. This malicious component gains access to passwords stored on the victim's computer, including passwords for Outlook email accounts and all stored passwords for Internet Explorer. MyAgent can also steal Credentials from the infected computer, allowing criminals to gain access to important security data.

MyAgent Can Change Its Payload

The most dangerous aspect of a MyAgent infection is that this Trojan can change its payload installation procedure depending on the infected computer's characteristics. MyAgent has been known to install differently depending on the infected computer's operating system, default web browser, and security software. In fact, there are some aspects of MyAgent's binaries that are still not detected by many anti-malware programs. To protect yourself from a MyAgent-related malware infection, ESG security researchers advise being especially careful when handling unsolicited PDF attachments and keeping your security software fully up to date.