SpicyOmelette

SpicyOmelette is a Trojan that was created by a criminal group known as Cobalt, or Gold Kingswood. PC security researchers have associated this group of criminals with other threats released in 2018, such as the CobInt Infostealer Trojan. SpicyOmelette, like many threatening programs, is delivered to the computer users through the use of damaged attachments on spam emails, which may take the form of compromised PDF files that include a dropper Trojan that uses Java scripts to download and install SpicyOmelette onto the victim's computer. The main targets of SpicyOmelette attacks are banks and large corporations.

What is the Objective of the SpicyOmelette Attack

The criminal group responsible for SpicyOmelette uses social media and the Web to identify possible targets of these attacks. They will create social engineering campaigns, commonly in the form of corrupted email messages designed to spoof the company's email messages, making it seem as if the email message is coming from a legitimate source within the company. Victims of this attack will be redirected to a URL belonging to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) where a group of four files will be downloaded onto the target computer automatically. These files are a Microsoft application, a JS file and two text files.

How SpicyOmelette Carries Out Its Attack

After SpicyOmelette is installed, it collects information about the targeted computer, such as the programs that are installed and the infected computer's operating system. SpicyOmelette also will check for the presence of anti-virus software on the victim's computer. The main purpose of SpicyOmelette is to determine whether important data can be collected from the victim's computer. SpicyOmelette will be used to install other malware onto the victim's computer. Since SpicyOmelette often will be used to grant the attacker access to the infected computer, SpicyOmelette often will be referred to as a RAT (Remote Access Trojan). SpicyOmelette is generally used for industrial espionage, in an attempt to collect company secrets, intellectual property, payment login details, and other valuable data from the targeted computer.

Risks Associated with SpicyOmelette Attacks

In most cases involving SpicyOmelette, this threat will enable a backdoor into the targeted computer. These targets allow criminals to gain remote access to the victim's computer, allowing them to spy on the victim, monitor activities on the infected computer, gain access to the device from a remote location or carry out a wide variety of other activities on the victim's computer. Because of the risks associated with SpicyOmelette, it is crucial to take steps to protect your data and computer networks from these attacks. Threats like SpicyOmelette have been associated with the theft of millions of dollars from banks all around the world.

Protecting Your Networks and Computers from SpicyOmelette

Security experts suspect that the creators of SpicyOmelette attacks have been responsible for more than one billion in damage to financial institutions and companies around the world. Even though the criminals suspected to be the leaders in this criminal group were arrested in March 2018, it does not seem that the attacks by the creators of SpicyOmelette have subsided. SpicyOmelette is just one of the many tools that are part of this criminal group's operations, which are the result of a sophisticated network of criminals operating with plenty of financial backing and resources. This criminal group and what it is capable of shouldn't be underestimated. Banks and international companies must ensure that their networks and computers are secure from these attacks completely. Most infections involving threats like SpicyOmelette are the result of human error rather than a lack of security software. Because of this, training and enforcement are the best tools to minimize the chance of becoming a victim of a SpicyOmelette attack.