Menu

  • Alerts
  • Incidents
  • News
  • APTs
  • Cyber Decoded
  • Cyber Hygiene
  • Cyber Review
  • Cyber Tips
  • Definitions
  • Malware
  • Threat Actors
  • Tutorials

Useful Tools

  • Password generator
  • Report an incident
  • Report to authorities
No Result
View All Result
CTF Hack Havoc
CyberMaterial
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
Hall of Hacks
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
No Result
View All Result
Hall of Hacks
CyberMaterial
No Result
View All Result
Home Alerts

Pakistan Targeted With Malicious Backdoors

December 18, 2024
Reading Time: 2 mins read
in Alerts
Pakistan Targeted With Malicious Backdoors

A recent phishing campaign has been identified targeting Pakistan, employing tax-themed lures and malicious Microsoft Common Console Document (MSC) files to deliver a stealthy backdoor payload. The campaign, tracked by cybersecurity firm Securonix as FLUX#CONSOLE, highlights the evolving sophistication of phishing techniques. The attack begins with a double-extension file, such as .pdf.msc, which masquerades as a legitimate PDF. When opened, it executes embedded JavaScript through the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), bypassing standard detection mechanisms.

One of the notable decoy documents used is titled “Tax Reductions, Rebates and Credits 2024,” mimicking an official file from Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The malicious code retrieves and displays this decoy while covertly loading a DLL file named DismCore.dll. This file establishes persistence using scheduled tasks and sets up communication with a remote server, enabling attackers to execute commands and exfiltrate sensitive data from compromised systems.

The attack demonstrates advanced obfuscation techniques, including deeply concealed malware within DLL files and highly encoded JavaScript in its initial stages. Researchers noted that MSC files, often used in legitimate Windows administrative workflows, represent an evolution of the widely abused LNK file. This tactic allows threat actors to deliver malicious payloads while blending into normal operations, making detection and analysis challenging for security teams.

While attribution remains uncertain, the Patchwork threat group is suspected due to their history of using similar tax-related documents in past campaigns. However, Securonix researchers caution that threat actors often reuse phishing lures, making definitive attribution difficult. This campaign underscores the increasing complexity of phishing attacks and the need for heightened vigilance against evolving file-based exploits targeting critical regions.

Reference:

  • Phishing Campaign Uses Malicious MSC Files to Deploy Backdoor in Pakistan Attacks
Tags: Cyber AlertsCyber Alerts 2024Cyber threatsDecember 2024MicrosoftPakistanPhishingSecuronix
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Fake Firms Push Malware on Crypto Users

Fake Sites Push Investment Scams

July 11, 2025
Fake Firms Push Malware on Crypto Users

Severe WordPress Flaw 200K Sites at Risk

July 11, 2025
Fake Firms Push Malware on Crypto Users

Fake Firms Push Malware on Crypto Users

July 11, 2025
Hackers Revive SEO Poisoning

Hackers Revive SEO Poisoning

July 10, 2025
Hackers Revive SEO Poisoning

RondoDox Botnet Exploits Router Flaws

July 10, 2025
Hackers Revive SEO Poisoning

ServiceNow Data Exposure via ACLs

July 10, 2025

Latest Alerts

Fake Sites Push Investment Scams

Fake Firms Push Malware on Crypto Users

Severe WordPress Flaw 200K Sites at Risk

RondoDox Botnet Exploits Router Flaws

ServiceNow Data Exposure via ACLs

Hackers Revive SEO Poisoning

Subscribe to our newsletter

    Latest Incidents

    Microsoft’s Outlook Long Outage

    Avantic Lab Affected By Ransomware

    $40M+ Stolen from GMX Crypto Platform

    Bitcoin Depot Breach Exposes Data

    McDonald’s AI Hiring Bot Exposes Data

    Nippon Steel Solutions Data Breach

    CyberMaterial Logo
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs
    • Legal and Privacy Policy
    • Site Map

    © 2025 | CyberMaterial | All rights reserved

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Definitions
    • Malware
    • Cyber Tips
    • Tutorials
    • Advanced Persistent Threats
    • Threat Actors
    • Report an incident
    • Password Generator
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us

    Copyright © 2025 CyberMaterial