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Netskope Threat Labs publishes a monthly summary blog post of the top threats we are tracking on the Netskope platform. The purpose of this post is to provide strategic, actionable intelligence on active threats against enterprise users worldwide.
Summary
- After some time out of the first place, PDF file types returned as the most common file type for malware downloads, followed by ZIP archives and EXE (PE) binary files. These three file types were the top three in the list for several months and show a very strong preference for the attackers.
- Attackers continue to attempt to fly under the radar by using cloud apps to deliver malware, with 50% of all malware downloads in November originating from 189 cloud apps, the highest number of the year.
- Well-known malware such as the AgentTesla infostealer and Loda RAT were among the top malware families detected on the Netskope platform in November, as well as the Phobos Ransomware.
Cloud Malware Delivery
Attackers attempt to fly under the radar by delivering malicious content via popular cloud apps. Abusing cloud apps for malware delivery enables attackers to evade security controls that rely primarily on domain block lists and URL filtering, or that don’t inspect cloud traffic. In November 2023, 50% of all HTTP/HTTPS malware downloads originated from popular cloud apps, the lowest value of the past six months.
The total number of cloud apps from which malware downloads originated is the highest of the whole year, with 189 distinct cloud apps used for malware downloads.
Attackers achieve the most success reaching enterprise users when they abuse cloud apps that are already popular in the enterprise. Microsoft OneDrive, the most popular enterprise cloud app, has again held the top spot for the most cloud malware downloads, which it has for more than six months.
The top ten apps remained largely unchanged with just a few differences, such as the messaging app QQ Messenger showing up in the top five. The other apps on the list include free software hosting sites (GitHub), cloud storage apps (Google Drive), email services like Microsoft Live Outlook and also free web hosting services (Weebly). The top ten list is a reflection of attacker tactics, user behavior, and company policy.
Top Malware File Types
After some time in second place, PDF files returned to the top of the list of malware file types, followed by ZIP archive files and then EXE (PE) binary files. It’s interesting to note that although these three file types might change positions depending on the month, most of the time those are the top three in the list. This shows both attacker preferences in file type choices and how effective these specific file types are in reaching their victims. As expected, the usage of other file types remains consistent when compared to other months.
Top Malware Families
Attackers are constantly creating new malware families and new variants of existing families, either as an attempt to bypass security solutions or to update their malware’s capabilities. In November 2023, 63% of all malware downloads detected by Netskope were either new families or new variants that had not been observed in the preceding six months. The other 37% were samples that had been previously observed during the preceding six months and are still circulating in the wild.
By volume, Netskope blocks more Trojans than any other malware type. Trojans are commonly used by attackers to gain an initial foothold and to deliver other types of malware, such as infostealers, remote access Trojans (RATs), backdoors, and ransomware. Remaining in second place, but still rising in popularity, were malware samples related to phishing campaigns.
Top Malware Families
Attackers are constantly creating new malware families and new variants of existing families, either as an attempt to bypass security solutions or to update their malware’s capabilities. In November 2023, 63% of all malware downloads detected by Netskope were either new families or new variants that had not been observed in the preceding six months. The other 37% were samples that had been previously observed during the preceding six months and are still circulating in the wild.
By volume, Netskope blocks more Trojans than any other malware type. Trojans are commonly used by attackers to gain an initial foothold and to deliver other types of malware, such as infostealers, remote access Trojans (RATs), backdoors, and ransomware. Remaining in second place, but still rising in popularity, were malware samples related to phishing campaigns.