Dovecat Malware

Weak passwords are one of the favorite targets of cybercriminals because they have the tools and computing power required to bypass necessary security measures. If you are not using strong login credentials for all accounts and network-connected devices, you will likely become the target of a malware campaign like the one linked to the new Dovecat Malware.

Allegedly, the Dovecat Malware is being deployed in attacks against network-attached storage (NAS) devices produced by QNAP. The attacks are carried out via brute-forcing attacks, which try to discover weak passwords and provide the remote attacker with full access to the compromised device. Once this requirement is met, the criminals may proceed to plant the Dovecat Malware, a cryptocurrency miner, which tries extra hard to hide its presence.

Once active, the Dovecat Malware starts consuming significant hardware resources to mine for cryptocurrencies. So far, Dovecat Malware's attacks have been limited to QNAP NAS devices, but researchers warn that the payload can run on any Linux system – this enhances Dovecat Malware's reach dramatically. One of the simple tricks that the Dovecat Malware uses to hide its process on the compromised computer is found in the corrupted process' name – it is called 'dovecat,' which resembles the legitimate 'dovecot' process found in QNAP devices.

Users can stay protected from the Dovecat Malware campaign using strong login credentials and applying the latest updates to their Web-connected devices.