DuckTail Malware Unveiled: Exploring The Newest Account Security Menace

The world is witnessing a paradigm shift amid the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and tools that have simplified our lifestyles for the good. However, the rapid adoption of technology has also given rise to various threats.

One such threat that’s swiftly gaining popularity is the DuckTails malware. This malware is designed to exploit consumer identities, leading to financial losses and privacy breaches.

DuckTail is a type of malware that emphasizes stealing saved sessions from browser cookies and mainly targets users' social media accounts. Cybercriminals hack different social media accounts of users and then sell them on the dark web, executing malicious activities.

According to the global cyber security heads, the DuckTails malware campaign is designed by keeping the digital marketing and advertising enterprises in mind since they are highly active on the Facebook Ads platform.

Let’s explore the aspects associated with DuckTails Malware and learn how businesses can safeguard themselves against the rising threat vectors.

Technical Details about DuckTails Malware

The DuckTails malware was first detected in 2021 and is specifically designed to target businesses offering online advertising or digital marketing services. However, it’s believed this malware was already active in 2018.

Specifically, accounts on the Facebook Ads and Business platform are on the radar of cybercriminals leveraging DuckTails.

Apart from this, cybercriminals also target individuals with high-level access to their organization’s business accounts. These individuals could be digital marketing heads, media professionals, or human resource personnel.

Talking about the working pattern of the malware for the LinkedIn social media platform, DuckTail initially reaches users by offering fake marketing-related job listings on LinkedIn.

Since cybercriminals already presume that the applicants would be professionals having proper access to their company’s ad accounts, they easily target high-level marketers of their targetted organizations. Apart from this, these cybercriminals also have fake recruiter profiles on LinkedIn, impersonating marketing recruiters.

Moreover, their profile seems legitimate, as if they’re already conducting hiring for different roles and positions in their organization. And this seems lucrative to candidates who fall victim to various social engineering attacks.

Working of DuckTails Attacks

The DuckTails malware works precisely, just like any social engineering attack. The potential victim is asked to respond to a bait post, and the recruiter (cybercriminal) sends a message on the social media platform. Let’s consider that the cybercriminal has posted a job advertisement on LinkedIn.

Once a user clicks on the bait post, the recruiter sends them a personal message on LinkedIn. This message contains the malware or the infected file. And the cybercriminal asks the user to download the job description they sent.  Moreover, the cybercriminal also asks whether the user uses a Windows or Mac OS, depending on the type of system malware file sent over the chat.

In most cases, the DuckTails malware payload is a .NET executable file. However, this isn’t always the case. Some malware loads may come in an Excel add-in or can be a browser extension. They sometimes also share instructional videos or step-by-step procedures to ensure their devices are perfectly infected and chances of exploitation are maximized.

Most users can’t resist the lucrative offer since cybercriminals impersonate professionals from popular organizations or enterprises that are the dream organizations for many. Also, the potential victim may receive the same file through an email with an attachment. The procedure to execute the file is mentioned in the email.

Implications for Account Safety

Till now, we’ve learned about DuckTails malware; let’s understand how you can reinforce your account safety.

#1. Email Verification

Cybersecurity experts always advise verifying the sender’s authenticity before clicking on any link or opening any attachment in the email. Also, checking the sender’s email address for inconsistencies or unusual domains is another way to stay safe.

#2. Staying Aware of Social Engineering

DuckTails often employs various social engineering tactics, including the urgency of requests, alarming messages, or the need to take quick action. It’s advisable to pay close attention to emails and messages on social media that create a sense of urgency.

#3. Avoid Downloading Suspicious Attachments

It is strongly recommended to avoid downloading suspicious attachments from emails and social media accounts. It’s advisable to download attachments from trusted sources since DuckTails often uses malicious attachments to infect systems.

#4. Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Implementing different forms of MFA across all your accounts is the most effective way to avoid account takeover and identity theft attacks. MFA ensures that even if one layer of authentication is compromised, another layer could ensure robust account security. Also, organizations should encourage their employees and users to use MFA for the highest level of account security.

#5. User Education

Since DuckTails malware targets big organizations through their employees, it’s strongly recommended that organizations initiate frequent user education training sessions on the latest security threats. Regular phishing awareness sessions allow employees to recognize attacks and prevent financial and reputational losses. Moreover, organizing and simulating phishing attacks can further give you an idea regarding how well employees can identify and respond to phishing attacks.

To Conclude

While the cybersecurity threat landscape continuously evolves and poses a severe threat to account security, organizations and individuals need to work on a multi-faceted approach to protect themselves and their organizations better.

Dangers at every level may surround the modern digital landscape. Still, with vigilance and knowledge, we can navigate it more securely and seamlessly, reducing the impact of threats like DuckTails attacks.