KBOT

The KBOT threat is a piece of malware that was first spotted back in 2012. Ever since malware analysts uncovered this threat, they have been keeping a close eye on it. Among the most interesting features of the KBOT threat is that it is capable of acting like a worm. This means that the KBOT malware may propagate itself to additional systems silently. Once the KBOT compromises a PC, it will try to plant its corrupted payload in all removable drives that may be plugged in, all the executable files hosted on the user’s hard drive and shared network folders. This enables the threat to sneak into other systems without the users ever noticing that anything wrong may be going on silently.

The creators of the KBOT threat have added additional features to this threat that help it remain undetected by the user or any security tool they may have installed on their system. As soon as the KBOT threat compromises a computer, it will perform a scan that is meant to detect the presence of any processes linked to anti-malware solutions. If any are spotted, the threat will attempt to kill the processes in question. To reduce its traces, the KBOT malware will inject its code into processes that are running already. This means that the threat does not need to run new processes, which makes it much more difficult to spot.

The newest variant of the KBOT malware appears to be spoofing websites that belong to various financial bodies. Once the KBOT threat has infiltrated a system, it will monitor the activity of the user. If the user opens a website linked to a banking institution that is compatible with the KBOT malware, the threat will display a bogus page that is designed to look like the original one exactly. Then, the users are likely to attempt logging into their accounts. However, instead of getting access to their accounts, they will provide the attackers with their login credentials.

The KBOT malware would establish a permanent connection with the C&C (Command and Control) server of the attackers. The threat will receive commands from the attackers’ C&C server that include:

• Modify files.
• Update itself.
• Delete itself.

The deletion of the threat also would wipe out all traces of harmful activities that may be left on the system. This threat is capable of causing a lot of harm. Make sure you have installed a reputable anti-malware application and do not forget to update all your software on a regular basis.