Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Microsoft Warns 'Adrozek' Malware is Infecting Thousands of PCs to Insert Ads

Microsoft Warns 'Adrozek' Malware is Infecting Thousands of PCs to Insert Ads

'We recorded hundreds of thousands of encounters of the Adrozek malware across the globe, with heavy concentration in Europe and in South Asia and Southeast Asia,' Microsoft said.

A new malware strain has been spreading to hundreds of thousands of Windows PCs in an effort to inject unauthorized ads into users’ search results, according to Microsoft.

The company has been tracking "Adrozek," a malware family capable of modifying multiple browsers including Google’s Chrome, Microsoft’s Edge and Mozilla’s Firefox in order to insert the ads into search result pages.

“At its peak in August, the threat was observed on over 30,000 devices every day,” Microsoft warned in a blog post on Thursday.

Inserting the ads into your search results is certainly annoying. But the real threat is how the malware can also steal login credentials from the Firefox browser, and potentially give hackers a launching pad for more damaging crimes.

Adrozek works by modifying a browser’s Dynamic Link Libraries or DLL files to change the settings, including turning off the security safeguards and the automatic updates. The result can place links to ads alongside legitimate ads, as the example below shows.



“The intended effect is for users, searching for certain keywords, to inadvertently click on these malware-inserted ads, which lead to affiliated pages,” Microsoft said. “The attackers earn through affiliate advertising programs, which pay by amount of traffic referred to sponsored affiliated pages.”

To deliver the malware, the hackers have been resorting to drive-by downloads. This can occur when a user clicks on a malicious link or visits a website that’s been tampered with. The PC will trigger the malware to download, which can sometimes install itself on the computer by exploiting a software vulnerability.

Hence, it’s a good idea to always keep your browser up to date. In other cases, the user will install the malware from a drive-by download, believing it to be a safe program.



In this case, Adrozek will drop an .exe file in the PC’s “temp” folder. The .exe file will then deliver the main malware payload in the “Programs Files” folder using a file name such as “Audiolava.exe, QuickAudio.exe, and converter.exe,” Microsoft said.

The company tracked Adrozek’s distribution to 159 unique domains, which hosted tens of thousands of URLs to try and spread the malware.

“In total, from May to September 2020, we recorded hundreds of thousands of encounters of the Adrozek malware across the globe, with heavy concentration in Europe and in South Asia and Southeast Asia,” Microsoft added. “As this campaign is ongoing, this infrastructure is bound to expand even further.



Although the malware is so far aimed at inserting unauthorized ads, Microsoft is concerned Adrozek could one day be used for more malicious crimes, such as redirecting users to scam websites. The good news is that the company’s built-in Windows Defender antivirus can detect and block Adrozek.

“End users who find this threat on their devices are advised to re-install their browsers,” the company added.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×