Researchers at Kaspersky Lab have uncovered a new strain of malware spreading via The Pirate Bay torrent tracker site.
Named after the classic Russian doll , PirateMatryoshka aims to infect users ’ computers with adware and tools that spreads further malware onto the device . It carries a Trojan -downloader disguised as a hacked version of legitimate software used in everyday PC activity.
Torrent services are a popular target for cybercriminals looking to distribute malicious code, not least because users in search of illegal content often disconnect their online security solutions or ignore system notifications in order to install the downloaded content .
PirateMatryoshka is spread using established seeders with no known history of malicious activity. The latter makes for an effective distribution process , because due to the good reputation of the seeder , potential victims have no reason to doubt that the file to be downloaded is safe .
Once the installer is run it shows the victim a copy of The Pirate Bay page that is in fact a phishing page , asking them to enter their credentials to continue the installation . Later this malware uses these credentials to create new seeders distributing more copies of PirateMatryoshka . Kaspersky’ s research shows that so far , the phishing link has been accessed around 10 , 000 times .
Even if user credentials aren ’t entered the infection still proceeds . The malware unpacks further malicious modules including a malicious clicker that , among other things can check the ‘ agree ’ box that triggers the adware installer , flooding a victim ’s device with unsolicited software . About 70 percent of installed programs are adware such as pBot, and 10 percent are detected as malware that can bring other malware onto the PC , such as another Trojan downloader .
“Multi-layered malware is a very common occurrence , and we have found many cases of malicious installers who are installing more than one program on a person ’s device ,” says David Emm , principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab UK . “ When it comes to PirateMatryoshka , however , this process is much more sophisticated. The malware that reaches a victim ’s computer can then introduce additional installers, which in turn spreads even more malware . This is a very advanced type of malware , considering it is an un -targeted, mass attack that carries a phishing component for wider onward distribution . ”