Security News > 2023 > July > Cybercriminals Exploit Microsoft Word Vulnerabilities to Deploy LokiBot Malware
Microsoft Word documents exploiting known remote code execution flaws are being used as phishing lures to drop malware called LokiBot on compromised systems.
The Word file that weaponizes CVE-2021-40444 contains an external GoFile link embedded within an XML file that leads to the download of an HTML file, which exploits Follina to download a next-stage payload, an injector module written in Visual Basic that decrypts and launches LokiBot.
An alternative chain discovered towards the end of May starts with a Word document incorporating a VBA script that executes a macro immediately upon opening the document using the "Auto Open" and "Document Open" functions.
The macro script subsequently acts as a conduit to deliver an interim payload from a remote server, which also functions as an injector to load LokiBot and connect to a command-and-control server.
"LokiBot is a long-standing and widespread malware active for many years," Lin said.
"Its functionalities have matured over time, making it easy for cybercriminals to use it to steal sensitive data from victims. The attackers behind LokiBot continually update their initial access methods, allowing their malware campaign to find more efficient ways to spread and infect systems."
News URL
https://thehackernews.com/2023/07/cybercriminals-exploit-microsoft-word.html
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Related Vulnerability
| DATE | CVE | VULNERABILITY TITLE | RISK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-15 | CVE-2021-40444 | Path Traversal vulnerability in Microsoft products <p>Microsoft is investigating reports of a remote code execution vulnerability in MSHTML that affects Microsoft Windows. | 8.8 |