Looking for a new job? Watch out you don't fall for this new malware scam

(Image credit: Altalex)

Researchers spot North Korean threat actors engaging in fake job scams
The attacks seek to deploy the OtterCookie malware
This malware steals sensitive information

North Korean hackers aren’t giving up on their fake job scams, it seems, as experts found they have added more malware variants, diversifying the tools used in the campaign that’s now almost three years old.

Cybersecurity researchers from NTT Security Japan revealed a North Korean threat actor engaged in a campaign dubbed “Contagious Interview”.

The campaign has been extensively covered by multiple researchers, and most media. The crooks would create a fake job opening, as well as a number of fake social media accounts. Then, they would target software developers, or other high-profile individuals (such as people working in the aerospace, defense, or government sectors), and offer exciting and lucrative new job opportunities.

OtterCookie

The campaign was first spotted in 2022, and is believed to be operated by Lazarus Group - a known state-sponsored threat actor from North Korea. In the latest report, NTT Security Japan claims to have seen the group deploying more than the usual malware variants - BeaverTail and InvisibleFerret.

This time, they’re using malware called OtterCookie. This one is capable of reconnaissance (grabbing system information, for example), data theft (cryptocurrency wallet keys, images, documents, and other high-value files), and clipboard poisoning.

Lazarus is known for targeting primarily web3 (blockchain) businesses, and stealing cryptocurrency. The novel technology is valuable for the criminals, since the stolen money is almost impossible to recover. This group was seen targeting multiple businesses in the past, running away with hundreds of millions of dollars in different cryptos.

It is also best known for running fake job campaigns, targeting not just businesses, but also individual software developers. Its operatives were observed creating fake personas and applying for positions, but also using the fake identities to approach professionals. In all scenarios, the crooks would try to deploy infostealing malware and grab their sensitive data.

Via BleepingComputer

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Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.