PirateMatryoshka Trojan

PirateMatryoshka is a newly observed trojan that will attempt to phish users and install potentially unwanted programs if unsuccessful.

Threat ID:: CC-2967
Category:: Trojan
Threat Severity:: Medium
Threat Vector:: Download
Published:: 11 March 2019 12:00 AM

Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

Summary

PirateMatryoshka is a newly observed trojan that will attempt to phish users and install potentially unwanted programs if unsuccessful.

Affected platforms

The following platforms are known to be affected:

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows - All versions

Threat details

PirateMatryoshka is delivered through disguised torrent files hosted on illegitimate sharing websites. Unlike other malware distributed in this manner, PirateMatryoshka uses established sharers' files to propagate, increasing the likelihood they are downloaded by other users. When a user attempts to open a spoofed file, PirateMatryoshka will display a fake login window prompting the user to enter their sharing site credentials. It will then use these to create new seed files to propagate to other users.

If no credentials are entered, PirateMatryoshka will instead deploy several additional payloads, using an auto-clicking function to dismiss any warning prompts before the user can see them. At the time of publication, the majority of payloads observed have been adware and click-fraud related, such as pBot, although a significant minority have been more serious malware.

Remediation steps

Type	Step
	To prevent and detect a trojan infection, ensure that: A robust program of education and awareness training is delivered to users to ensure they don’t open attachments or follow links within unsolicited emails. All operating systems, anti-virus and other security products are kept up-to-date. Regular anti-virus and security scans are performed on your organisation’s estate. All day-to-day computer activities such as email and internet are performed using non-administrative accounts. Strong password policies are in place. Network, proxy and firewall logs should be monitored for suspicious activity. User accounts accessed from affected devices should be reset on a clean computer. Your organisation adopts a holistic all-round approach to Cyber Security as advocated by the 10 Steps to Cyber Security.

Type

Step

To prevent and detect a trojan infection, ensure that:

A robust program of education and awareness training is delivered to users to ensure they don’t open attachments or follow links within unsolicited emails.
All operating systems, anti-virus and other security products are kept up-to-date.
Regular anti-virus and security scans are performed on your organisation’s estate.
All day-to-day computer activities such as email and internet are performed using non-administrative accounts.
Strong password policies are in place.
Network, proxy and firewall logs should be monitored for suspicious activity.
User accounts accessed from affected devices should be reset on a clean computer.
Your organisation adopts a holistic all-round approach to Cyber Security as advocated by the 10 Steps to Cyber Security.

Last edited: 14 February 2020 2:50 pm