Trickbot malware is a risk to both home and corporate networks, posing significant threats through its data-stealing Trojan that targets login credentials, exploits network vulnerabilities, proxy network traffic, and more. Over time, its creator has added many auxiliary modules designed to steal login details, exploit network vulnerabilities, or proxy network traffic for illicit gain.
To successfully eliminate this Trojan, infected systems should be identified and isolated from the network, administrative shares should be disabled, and powerful antivirus software installed and utilized.
TrickBot is a Swiss army knife of malware, functioning as both an exploit platform and a command and control (C2) platform for ransomware distribution and credential stealing. Threat actors employ this malware for profit by selling access to victim networks or exploiting victims with ransomware attacks.
TrickBot is an advanced Trojan that often goes undetected by antivirus software due to its stealthy approach and deceptively legitimate appearance as a productivity file that may look legitimate or be from an established business or known contact. Once opened by accident, macro commands activate PowerShell, which downloads TrickBot from the threat actor's Command and Control server (C2) server.
Once TrickBot has been downloaded onto a victim's computer, its plugin modules perform various functions, such as credential theft and network reconnaissance. For example, its pwgrab module steals saved passwords, autofill data, and other sensitive information from browsers and various software apps; additionally, it can even hijack applications like WinSCP, Microsoft Outlook, and Filezilla to access this data and gain entry.
TrickBot can also brute force Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections to gain unwarranted entry to specific systems. This can be particularly damaging for businesses as it circumvents security tools and allows cybercriminals to access sensitive data while potentially hijacking networks.
Organizations can reduce their risk of TrickBot infection through regular security awareness training and by cultivating a culture of caution when opening emails from unknown contacts. Installing an advanced antivirus suite with behavior detection capabilities may also help detect this malware; however, manual removal can prove challenging because it can leave behind traces and avoid detection.
How does TrickBot malware work?
TrickBot malware boasts an array of capabilities designed to access banking data from infected computers and gain entry to sensitive information from many sectors, including financial organizations, cryptocurrency exchanges, and technology firms.
Trickbot can spread through spam email campaigns that include infected attachments and links or exploit vulnerabilities within the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Once installed, this malware uses its plugin module to perform various functions, including stealing credentials, profiling victim systems, gathering network data, and downloading other threats like Emotet or Ryuk ransomware.
Newer versions of TrickBot can also exploit dynamic web injects to steal PIN codes from victims by injecting fake web pages into the victim's browser and redirect them to an obscure page that will enable hackers to access account details, passwords, and other sensitive data.
Attackers behind these incidents could include individuals, organized cybercrime groups, or nation-state actors. Their motive for attacking often comes down to money; malware lets its operators steal banking details such as account credentials. Furthermore, this threat can infiltrate corporate networks by targeting devices like printers, serial ports, and other resources.
IT departments looking to reduce the impact of TrickBot infections should deploy cybersecurity tools that monitor networks in real time, such as network monitoring software or network surveillance services. Such products can detect files with encrypted content or suspicious behavior that would otherwise be difficult to spot, in addition to helping detect and remove malware from network devices.
Symptoms of TrickBot Malware
TrickBot can steal information such as usernames and passwords for online accounts and provide remote access to any system. Depending on its module, TrickBot may collect personal details, including usernames and passwords for remote systems that allow it to gain entry remotely.
Malware is designed to remain hidden, making it difficult for victims to detect infection until it's too late. Signs of an infection include changes to network infrastructure or files which appear suddenly; victims may even discover their online banking account has been compromised and money or personal data has been siphoned off.
Once installed, TrickBot can steal the credentials of online banking users before connecting to a command and control server (C2) affiliated with ransomware operators. Infected systems may then become infected with Conti or Ryuk ransomware which encrypts data before demanding ransom payments in return for decrypting it.
In 2017, developers added a worm module to TrickBot, allowing it to spread from victim to victim through infected networks and harvest more information from targets, including browser cookies, login details for online accounts, URLs visited, and flash LSOs from flash players.
Infection typically starts with phishing emails that contain malicious productivity attachments that look legitimate and seem like communications from known businesses or contacts yet contain hidden macro commands that download malware onto work machines and initiate its destructive activity. Opening such attachments activates macro commands which download malware onto work machines - an all-round antimalware program with strong anti-ransomware capabilities must be utilized, along with training employees not to open suspicious or dubious-appearing emails and attachments and keeping software updated - especially macro activations - on work machines by default to stay protected against infection by hackers.
How does TrickBot spread?
TrickBot is a trojan horse that sneaks onto computers by disguising itself as an innocent-appearing file, then unleashes havoc by stealing data and opening entryways for hackers to exploit. Victims typically become aware of infection only through suspicious login attempts to online accounts or fraudulent bank transfers.
TrickBot malware can be used by individuals, organized crime groups, and nation-state hackers alike to target businesses and steal sensitive data. It typically spreads via malicious spam campaigns with infected attachments or URLs or through server message block (SMB) attacks that exploit network vulnerabilities.
TrickBot can collect sensitive information like passwords and banking details from computers that it infiltrates, sending it back to its attackers' command-and-control servers (C2). It may connect to multiple C2s depending on its operators' needs and contact secondary servers for more specialized tasks, like downloading follow-on attacks such as Ryuk ransomware or Emotet.
TrickBot uses sophisticated obfuscation techniques that make it hard to identify after infiltrating the system, so it is vitally important that an all-around antimalware program be installed and kept up-to-date regularly. Furthermore, keep an eye out for suspicious applications using significant system resources without actively running programs that open suspicious pop-ups or redirect to untrustworthy websites, as well as programs that open suspicious pop-ups or redirect to untrustworthy websites; delete such programs immediately if found. System restore points may also contain remnants of TrickBot, so these must be removed as soon as possible.
To protect against infection, it's also wise to train employees on phishing, cybersecurity, and social engineering. All employees should avoid downloading files from questionable sources and avoid websites that utilize adware, as this serves as one of the primary vectors for spreading malware.
How can I protect myself from TrickBot?
As well as taking measures to detect phishing emails, cybersecurity protection software that detects TrickBot should also be implemented. Furthermore, it's vital to recognize potential indicators of compromise (IOCs), so any systems compromised should be remedied as soon as possible.
TrickBot infections typically manifest themselves with unauthorized login attempts to online accounts and changes in network infrastructure, among other indicators. When such indicators are identified, systems involved should be isolated and placed onto a clean VLAN until they can be cleaned or reimaged; then, all domain and local administrator passwords should be reset, as this will provide maximum protection against this type of threat.
As another form of protection against TrickBot malware, ensure all updates and patches have been applied and use a multi-layered cybersecurity program that detects and prevents its entry.
All applications that consume system resources without being active should be identified and removed from the system, including those running in the background or taking up too much disk space. Furthermore, it's advisable to regularly backup all data to be restored if necessary in case of malware infection. Doing this reduces both losses of valuable information and the spreading of infection across networks - something TrickBot with its many plug-ins, does!
