Security News > 2023 > March > New FiXS ATM Malware Targeting Mexican Banks

A new ATM malware strain dubbed FiXS has been observed targeting Mexican banks since the start of February 2023.

"The ATM malware is hidden inside another not-malicious-looking program," Latin American cybersecurity firm Metabase Q said in a report shared with The Hacker News.

Besides requiring interaction via an external keyboard, the Windows-based ATM malware is also vendor-agnostic and is capable of infecting any teller machine that supports CEN/XFS. The exact mode of compromise remains unknown but Metabase Q's Dan Regalado told The Hacker News that it's likely that "Attackers found a way to interact with the ATM via touchscreen."

FiXS is also said to be similar to another strain of ATM malware codenamed Ploutus that has enabled cybercriminals to extract cash from ATMs by using an external keyboard or by sending an SMS message.

"FiXS is implemented with the CEN XFS APIs which helps to run mostly on every Windows-based ATM with little adjustments, similar to other malware like RIPPER," the cybersecurity company said.

"Cybercriminals who compromise networks have the same end goal as those who carry out attacks via physical access: to dispense cash," Trend Micro said in a detailed report on ATM malware published in September 2017.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2023/03/new-fixs-atm-malware-targeting-mexican.html