cyber attack – Page 24 – Scriptingthewhy.com

Ducktails vs. Duck Tales

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Bye-bye Mr. Duck, Scriptingthewhy told my dad all about you.
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Ducktails is not going to have a good spin after you read about this one. So you may have looked at the title and thought that you are going to read a nice story about Ducktails and have those memories of being a child sitting in front of the TV on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings come rushing back to you.

Remembering the time sat through your watch list of favorite cartoons until you got to the main event. However, sadly, you’re not going to have that moment. We have come across some information that will have your head spinning including your tail.

So, as usual, we’ll be covering what the attack is, who is using it, the functionality, and effects upon release, and what are some ways to protect yourself from this being the last Saturday morning for your peace of mind.

We found a duck in your computer, it was ducking.
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The Attack

What has you spinning around like a record from the 80s? Great that you asked, the intruder in question is called “Ducktail”, and no, it’s not “Duck Tales”. As mentioned earlier, your sweet childhood is here to be exploited, not rewarded.

Ducktail is what is known as “adware”, adware for those who may not know is malware software that secretly installs itself on the victim’s device and pops up unwanted advertisements.

No, your YouTube account doesn’t have adware, that’s just YouTube being god-awful. Speaking of god-awful, did you know that ducktail was a hairstyle? I’ll take the adware, please.

Ed: You know they could give us more information as to who the scammers are.
Z-daddy: It’s not that simple, and most of the time it’s untraceable.
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Who Can It Be Now

As far as who has been making use of ducktails to make other people’s lives interesting, there have been no names. However, it is believed that its origins trace back to Vietnam a few years back.

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Sue: Ed, I thought you landed a job interview and was looking to get out of here.
Ed: It was a scam.
Sue: Oh, well, Scriptingthewhy could’ve told you about that.
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That Sinking Feeling

Are you confused about how something like this works? Don’t worry, I have you on that front. The Ducktails adware pairs with NodeStealer and targets Meta business and Facebook (also called Meta) accounts and for lack of better a term, hi-jack the accounts.

Once access is gained, social engineering can begin, where multiple victims can be approached through various platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp, even including freelancer platforms like Upwork.

So, yeah, once in, everyone is getting a spicy meatball, and no one is off the menu. Ducktail also has another way in due to performing what is called “search engine poisoning”, this is the dark art of tricking a search engine like Google into ranking webpages to appear number one so they can further distribute their malware.

The overall is you’re being lured into giving your information. These lures involve bogus posting on Upwork, Freelancer, Facebook ads, LinkedIn mailing, and even those “Disney is hiring for Data Analytics 100% remote position” ads you see on YouTube. Disney, like any other job, wants your butt in a seat on-site. Don’t fall for this.

Back on track, so once the adware gets onto your computer and begins to steal information, this includes items like saved session cookies from the browser to then tailor ads more personal to the victim. So basically, you have in your search history lawn mowers, it finds that and crafts you “lawn mowers for cheap or even free”, you click, and pop goes the weasel.

The good news is the rest of your collected information doesn’t go to waste however, it has been known to be sold on the dark web for about $15 USD to about $340 USD depending on who you are. You’re still worth something, whether you believe it or not.

You make one move on my owner’s computer and you’re gone with Tweetie. You got me?
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The Prevention

So it’s clear, you don’t want your tail like your life spinning out of control. Well, don’t worry, I have you on that one. Everyone thinks that cybersecurity is using cutting-edge technology to stop the bad guys when in reality, it’s just practicing some good fundamental habits.

A simple way of thinking about a form of protecting yourself is when contacted by anyone you don’t know and they request you visit a link, uh treat it like the front door of your house, and don’t open it. I hope you wouldn’t open the door all the way for a complete stranger so the same applies here.

Always keep a lookout when visiting websites as if you look in your browser search bar and to the left, if the little lock symbol is not locked then that means the site is not secure. This means everyone else can see your transactions and you don’t want that.

When downloading software, it is always best to download from the official site and not a third party as downloading from a third party may contain malware and other nasty software.

Having your operating system and anti-virus up to date is a must because patches for vulnerabilities are released often and further help protect your computer. Always remember, your tail is meant to twerk for a paycheck, not twerking because you lost one.

Whoa there lil duckie, we’re not saying all ducks are bad.
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Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, sharing this with whomever, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you feel like there is something I may have missed on Ducktail? Script a comment below.

AI, Cloud Talk, Programming, Security, Tech

I got scammed, here’s how.

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point of view of road with mountains in the distance — Either see how far you’ve come or how far you have to go.
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Beginning to an End

It has been a rough ride trying to look for a job in Information Technology (IT). All I want is to change careers and improve my quality of living. Is that too much to ask? Pouring countless hours into Bootcamps, completing online courses, and doing code-along projects.

Fixing up my resume to suit resume screening needs. At this point, things have been pretty interesting, to say the least. After months of facing countless piles of rejection, something came through finally.

I finally got my big break, and this was going to be my meal ticket into the big wide world of IT, and with studying areas such as cloud computing, Python programming, and machine learning, it was clear I was on my way to the big leagues. Someone reached out to me and offered me an interview.

My thoughts were, I finally made it past the computer screening. Someone looked at my resume and envisioned the potential.

light at the end of the tunnel — Not all lights at the end of the tunnel are created equal.
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Moth Set Ablaze

This company wasn’t to the likes of Microsoft, but it wasn’t too small either. I was determined to make this work, even if I stumbled, I was going to give it my all. Like Vin Diesel, I was doing this for “family”.

They gave me a bit of information about their company such as whom they were backed by and what role they are recruiting for. Day came to interview… which was an email by the way. Googled it (it’s a thing) but didn’t think too much of it.

The interviewer was late for the time we agreed to (didn’t think too much of that either), readily filling out this questionnaire. Some questions were easy, others had me trying to figure out how to word my responses.

Whatever the case may be, this was my light at the end of the tunnel, and I wasn’t going to let this slip by since I worked so hard to get here. Tried not to be too in my head. It’s not like I was sitting across from them where I could judge how the question is being asked.

Man in brown jacket sitting on couch thinking. — Despite the opposition, by determination I will make it.
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Promise with a Dash of Doubt

After filling out the questionnaire and sending it back. I anticipated,” thank you for your interest, despite the fact we are desperately hiring, we decided to go with other candidates”.

However, to my surprise, I received an email the next afternoon congratulating me on the interview and that the board wanted to move forward with my application and grant me the position of application engineer.

I was informed to keep an eye on my email because I would be receiving an offer letter for employment from human resources (HR) to fill out to start my hiring process. My dreams were coming true, and I could finally and wholeheartedly say I was a part of the oh-so-coveted IT world. I could see greatness on the horizon.

businessman giving a contract to someone to sign — This offer may seem good now but give it time.
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Beware of The Hand That Feeds You

Later that night, something wasn’t sitting right. I kept reviewing the email that was sent which included that I was going to receive a check via paycheck or electronic deposit that was going to use for purchasing my soon-to-be home office equipment.

This had me promptly questioning with a; “Say what now?” But I quickly dismissed it with an “oh well, I need a job, and if this is going to be my foot in the door. I’ll take it”.

But something still didn’t sit right. I couldn’t just be given a job this quick, and it is a six-figure salary. After scanning the questionnaire several times and viewing there was a street address. I decided to go and see if my having the job was real.

I tracked all my way to this lovely building (which held Microsoft by the way), walked in, knocked on the door, and was greeted by an older fellow who had an AirPod in his ear. I explained my situation and asked if there were any hiring managers around, I could talk to, but before I could get the words out, he replied “It’s a scam, I’m sorry”. My suspicions were correct, how nice.

businessman on smartphone smiling. — When they’re trying to scam you, but they don’t know who they’re dealing with.
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Turning Tables

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to make the best of my situation. I waited for my offer letter to be sent to me, which I received right as I was being informed this was a scam. I took to LinkedIn to see If I could connect with these people.

However, turn out to be a dead end. The names did not match the faces. I decided to have some fun to offer up some good spirit and email them a proactive email. I sent the one (the interviewer) an email telling them how happy and hopeful I was to get this position and how I couldn’t wait to start working.

That I wanted to know more about him and how well he was connected to the company and the board. Also, I needed the requisition id number since I needed a list of my duties of what was going to be expected of me. And to the other (HR) email informing them that I would not be needing money for the office equipment since I already have the items.

It has been a while now, so I presume they cut their losses.

amazed man looking at laptop screen. — This guy must know his stuff, he asked for the requisition id number.
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Look Out!

When dealing with a situation like this there is a two-prong attack.

The Interviewer (attacker one)

-Will reach out for a role, you may or may have not applied to. This person will engage and offer an email interview or interview in some form of messaging service.

The hiring manager or human resources manager (attacker two)

-Will send the offer letter and request to purchase office equipment or mini-office equipment.

List of office or mini-office items

MacBook
Dual Monitors
External hard drive/backup system
Laptop Stand
A high-quality webcam
Comfortable desk chair
Hp LaserJet Pro M15w Printer
Computer Hardware and Software
High-Speed Internet Access
Stress Ball

Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Have you ever encountered what could be a scammer?

Script a comment about how you handled the situation.

Programming, Security, Tech

Buzzing in Your Computer

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Tom: Hey, did either of you check out the script?
Aaron: Yeah Tom, now shut up the movie is about to start.
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So, you’re a fan of Transformers, huh? Well, brace yourself, because this might shock you. You know how those robots can turn into cars, planes, and other stuff?

Well, guess what? Some of them can also hack into your computer or your online accounts without breaking a sweat. It’s crazy, the internet never stops being the place where people can exploit sweet childhood memories.

We’re going to look at what the attack is, who is using it, the functionality and effects upon release, and what are some ways to protect yourself from this transformer transforming your life into a nightmare.

Kim: So uh…we’re just friends huh?
Dave: *Thinking: If I pretend like I’m drinking she’ll stop asking me questions.*
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The Attack

Have you ever experienced a transforming nightmare? For those who may not know it’s called “malware” which means “malicious software”. This refers to any software that is designed to harm, disrupt, or steal data from a computer or a network. You can think of this as your neighbor offering you food knowing it’s laced with naptime medicine.

The newest addition to being laced with something that stings and honey is not included is called “BumbleBee”. BumbleBee is a malware downloader written in C++ language and has a single function that handles various tasks.

This is malware that can hide in plain sight and deliver ransomware payloads to infected systems. In a nutshell, this bee sting giveth and this bee taketh your data.

Not only do I collect pollen but I can give your computer everything you never wanted, like a virus.
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Who Can It Be Now

Who would set something like this up to take your data? Well, we’re happy to tell you that this didn’t come out from Beyonce’s beehive. BumbleBee has been linked to several cybercriminal groups, such as EXOTIC LILY and TrickBot.

Let us quickly go over the two. EXOTIC LILY is a financially motivated group that may have acted as initial access brokers for other malicious actors and targets a wide range of industries also involving IT.

TrickBot is a Trojan that threat actors spread via spear phishing campaigns. This is done by using tailored emails that contain malicious links. And you thought ChatGPT was only good for fixing resumes and completing essays.

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Well, it’s time to mail some ransomware.
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That Sinking Feeling

Now moving on to how something like BumbleBee works. BumbleBee is a downloader that is distributed through malspam (malware spam- spam email with malware) campaigns. Emails are sent with a malicious attachment that has an ISO extension.

When the user opens the attachment, they see a folder with two files: a DLL file and an LNK file. Both files are infected with this troublesome transformer. The LNK file is a shortcut that executes the DLL file when clicked. Trigging the BumbleBee downloader to download and run other malware on the compromised system.

What’s the other malware that could be downloaded we hear you ask. Well, this could be but is not limited to viruses, worms, trojans, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more. What problems can they cause? Don’t worry, we have you on that as well.

Malware can cause various problems, such as slowing down the system, encrypting or deleting files, displaying unwanted ads, or demanding a ransom to restore access. Malware can infect a device through various methods, such as downloading attachments, clicking on links, visiting malicious websites, or using infected USB drives.

So all in all, BumbleBee gets into your system, transforms, drops off, and rolls out. And you thought Optimus was bad.

This isn’t what we meant as far as protecting your information but it’s a start.
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The Prevention

So how does one protect themselves from what came from the beehive? Well, to protect your computer from malware and other threats of the like. You should follow some basic security practices.

First, avoid opening attachments and clicking on links in emails that look off or are irrelevant to you. Especially if they came from an unknown sender. Second, use only official tools to update and activate the software you use. And never download or run any cracks, keygens, or patches from unknown sources.

Third, keep your operating system and applications updated with the latest security patches and fixes. Fourth, download software and files only from official or reputable websites, and avoid using third-party downloaders.

Lastly, install a reliable antivirus program on your computer and scan your system regularly for any potential infections or vulnerabilities. Many issues will come a buzzing but if you can avoid being stung from a hit and run, then do so.

It’s a good thing I read Scriptingthewhy. I knew these bees were acting funny. IT’S TIME TO GET YA’ll IN ORDER!
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Made it this far and found this to be entertaining? Then a big thanks to you and please show your support by cracking a like, sharing this with whomever, scripting a comment, or plug-in to follow.

Would like to give sincere thanks to current followers and subscribers, your support and actions mean a lot and has a play in the creation of each script.

Do you feel like there is something I may have missed on BumbleBee? Script a comment below.