Banking
Fileless
Credential Stealer
APT
QakBot (also known as QBot or Pinkslipbot) is a banking trojan that has been around since at least 2007. It’s designed to steal financial data, browser info, keystrokes and credentials. Once it gets into a system, QakBot sets up a backdoor so attackers can deploy additional malware, like ransomware, to increase the damage.
Originally a banking trojan, QakBot has evolved into a malware platform. Its modular design allows it to do many malicious things: data exfiltration, reconnaissance, lateral movement in the network, and deliver of other payloads like ransomware. This has allowed QakBot to stick around as a major threat in the threat landscape.
Infection Vectors and Spread
QakBot spreads through phishing campaigns that deliver malicious attachments or links. Once a user interacts with those, the malware is downloaded and executed, often in memory to evade detection. It can also spread through network shares, exploiting weak security config to move laterally across systems.
Impact on Infected Systems
Once infected, QakBot can disrupt business by stealing sensitive info, making unauthorized transactions, and deploying ransomware. QakBot presence means big financial losses, reputational damage,e and downtime for affected organizations.
Implement robust email filtering to block phishing attempts.
Deploy advanced endpoint detection and response tools to identify and neutralize threats.
Maintain regular patch management to address vulnerabilities promptly.
Enforce strict access controls and network segmentation to limit lateral movement.
