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Moose Botnet

Posted: September 25, 2019

The Moose Botnet is a network of Trojans that compromise Linux-based devices, routers especially. The Moose Botnet then uses the infected hardware for generating false social networking information, such as account followers. Vulnerable businesses and other entities should monitor their logins for weaknesses that could lead to an attack, reset devices to factory conditions, and apply anti-malware solutions for removing any related Moose Botnet threats, as is applicable.

The Moose that Pretends that It's Everyone's Friend

In 2015, a cyber-security company caught and examined a high-stealth, decentralized network of Trojans or botnet. The Moose Botnet's avoiding detection until then is easily explainable through its emphasis on analysis evasion, associated updates, and a very unusual choice of targets. The Moose Botnet botnet is both incredibly specific to particular Linux architectures and conducts attacks that, arguably, leave no victims.

The Moose Botnet compromises routers and other Linux devices, similarly to the Plead Backdoor or the Fiberhome-targeting Gwmndy Botnet. However, it only infects ARM and MIPs and has no x86 counterpart, which is extremely rare, even for a Linux-based Trojan. Rather than using vulnerabilities like CVE-2016-7255, the Moose Botnet cracks login combinations with a brute-force technique.

The Moose Botnet's payload, also, is somewhat narrower than is standard for botnets. It concentrates on using hardware for delivering misleading social networking information, such as generating followers, likes or views. Most of its 2015 traffic centered around Instagram, although it also targeted Facebook, Twitter, and other services. Owners of affected devices should be aware that the Moose Botnet doesn't compromise their private accounts; the Trojan uses 'on-the-fly' fake accounts and falsified network requests.

Pulling a Moose Off its Mountain of Money

The Moose Botnet's campaigns are mercenary – the threat actor sells social network promotional services without specifying the illicit method by which he delivers these likes, views and followers. The network and its Trojans also are showing signs of periodic updates with the possibility of averting detection from outdated security solutions. As well, malware analysts find it worth emphasizing the Moose Botnet's use of argument-based, XOR-protected IP addresses, which impedes file-based threat databases directly.

ARM and HIPs architecture-based Linux devices include some brands of smartphones, video players, e-Book readers, and even medical equipment, along with routers. Secure practices in choosing one's passwords and login user names will prevent the Moose Botnet's brute-forcing from compromising your device successfully. Unfortunately, symptoms related to a Moose Botnet infection are limited, and the Trojan makes various efforts for hiding itself, such as displaying fake 'It works!' server-verifying messages.

Some anti-malware services include network-monitoring and router security features that could mitigate, prevent or remove a Moose Botnet Trojan. Always reset your hardware to factory conditions after an attack and change login combinations to new, non-compromised values.

Faking people's opinions is a wealthy business for Trojans and con artists who don't care if they're delivering a superficial impression of what they're promising. While human greed runs strongly, creative expressions of it, like the Moose Botnet, often, need just a little precaution in password choices for thwarting them.

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