Antivirus Vendor Hacked: Malicious Updates

[Sandbox Breaker - DFIR]

Content source

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-hijack-antivirus-updates-to-drop-guptiminer-malware/

Hackers hijack antivirus updates to drop GuptiMiner malware

North Korean hackers have been exploiting the updating mechanism of the eScan antivirus to plant backdoors on big corporate networks and deliver cryptocurrency miners through GuptiMiner malware.

www.bleepingcomputer.com

Who knew that one day your antivirus would update with malware. Another supply chain attack.

 

[nickstar1]

imagine if this happened to Gen digital or mcafee or kaspersky lol?

 

[Sandbox Breaker - DFIR]

imagine if this happened to Gen digital or mcafee or kaspersky lol?

It will one day. Matter of time. Murphys's law #1

 

[Jonny Quest]

It will one day. Matter of time. Murphys's law #1

Didn't about 10 years ago, Avast put out an update that toasted some people's Windows PCs?

 

[nickstar1]

Didn't about 10 years ago, Avast put out an update that toasted some people's Windows PCs?

I think every AV has had its glory one day or another. I remember in 2022 Malwarebytes blocking every single website due to a bad update. Mcafee had one in 2007-2008 that bricked millions of PC's. Yet again NOT malware related but they can be considered even worse depending on the bad update and system damage/data loss.

 

[Trident]

Didn't about 10 years ago, Avast put out an update that toasted some people's Windows PCs?

A lot of them had history with defective updates years ago, that’s why nowadays they always keep copies of the previous database that can be activated very quickly. But back then (more than 10 years ago) collecting safe files reputation still wasn’t a thing.

But this case is not a defective update, it is a full blown supply chain attack, similar to CCleaner.
I am sorry to say, but looking at the awful website eScan has got, they are not really the pinnacle of security so it’s no wonder it happens to them. Third-tier products just can’t be great.