• bunee
• October 20, 2023
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Malvertising Campaign Targets Google Ads Users

Campaign Overview

• An innovative malvertising campaign is discovered, which makes use of Google Ads to direct users to deceptive landing pages and distribute succeeding-stage payloads.
• These findings are credited to Malwarebytes, and they have pointed out the uniqueness of this campaign regarding its method to fingermark users and disseminate time-sensitive payloads.
• The malware researchers have noted that this attack specifically focuses on users who are looking for software like Notepad++ and PDF converters.

Malwarebytes Discovers Unique Malvertising Campaign

The friendly neighborhood virus-busters at Malwarebytes have stumbled on a unique and innovative malvertising campaign. To give a quick ‘malware-101’, malvertising is essentially online advertising with a nefarious twist, promoting malware. This present case is interesting due to its clever use of Google Ads to misdirect users to fictitious landing pages and further distribute payloads. You can think of this as a wicked game of internet hide and seek, with the payload “it” and the user the unsuspecting “hider.”

Not Your Ordinary Malware: Fingerprinting Users and Time-Sensitive Payloads

This is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill malware – it has a style that can’t be copied. According to Malwarebytes, it’s unique for the way it fingerprints users and distributes time-sensitive payloads. Imagine this as a virtual bouncer using a high-tech scanner to decide who gets to party with the nasty payload. As we all know, nothing ensures a good time like time-sensitive malware.

Specifically Targeting Those Needing Notepad++ and PDF Converters

And who gets the golden ticket to this unwanted malware party? Users who are just innocently searching for Notepad++ and PDF converters, apparently. The aim of the game for this malware is to target and attack these unsuspecting software-seekers. Suddenly, looking for a PDF converter got a lot scarier, did it not?

Summary

With its unique way of fingerprinting users and distributing payloads, this malware doesn’t just break the mold, it smashes it to smithereens. By using Google Ads and targeting users of specific software, this malware campaign makes even the simplest of internet tasks – like searching for software – a risky gamble.

And there you have it – malware with a sense of individuality. As if we all didn’t have enough to worry about, now we have to avoid invitations to unwanted malware parties. Remember, folks. The ninth rule of the internet – Not all ads are your friends, some of them have a mean malware punch.

Original Article: https://thehackernews.com/2023/10/malvertisers-using-google-ads-to-target.html