ESET Analysis
ESET researchers focus on HotPage, a lately found adware armed with a highest-privilege, but susceptible, Microsoft-signed driver
05 Sep 2024
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1 min. learn
Often when somebody mentions adware, individuals consider low-quality half-baked malicious code used to spam victims with sketchy adverts. However as we clarify on this episode of our podcast, not all adware is created equal. HotPage is a lately found trojan utilizing a susceptible, Microsoft-signed, kernel driver to inject and manipulate what victims see of their browsers.
Of their dialog, host ESET Distinguished Researcher Aryeh Goretsky and his visitor ESET Principal Risk Intelligence Researcher Robert Lipovsky, evaluate HotPage to different threats, particularly infostealing malware, which generally has an identical stage of sophistication however is way extra harmful. Each additionally elaborate on the method the creators of this adware will need to have gone by way of to get their driver signed by Microsoft.
One other attention-grabbing factor about HotPage is that it’s a trojan by its very definition. Marketed as safety answer and advert blocking software program for Chinese language web cafes, it delivers the precise reverse, spamming customers with scores of adverts and leaving the door open for different risk actors to run different malicious code. Primarily based on its regional and vertical focusing on, HotPage appears to be designed to go after Chinese language avid gamers.
Within the episode, listeners can even hear particulars on how ESET mitigated HotPage, actionable recommendation on keep away from the risk on user-end, and what to do if one suspects to be contaminated by it.
For detailed report on HotPage and different risk actor actions, comply with ESET analysis on X (previously often known as Twitter), and take a look at our newest blogposts and white papers on WeLiveSecurity.com. In the event you like what you hear, subscribe for extra on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or PodBean.