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Spark RAT Targets Cambodia, Abuses Vulnerable OPSWAT Driver to Disable Security Tools
Acronis details a Spark RAT campaign against Cambodia abusing the vulnerable OPSWAT ardrv.sys driver (CVE-2026-36425) to disable Microsoft Defender and other security tools.
Acronis TRU analyzed a multi-stage Spark RAT campaign targeting Cambodian individuals and organizations with lures spanning government notices, public health materials, and real estate documents. Attack chains use phishing emails with Inno Setup archives, DLL side-loading via a signed Tencent executable, and BYOVD abuse of the vulnerable OPSWAT ardrv.sys driver (CVE-2026-36425) to terminate security software. Shellcode hidden in PNG files patches AMSI and ETW, establishes scheduled task and service persistence, and injects into vssvc.exe and ctfmon.exe to run the open-source Go-based Spark RAT. Tactics resemble the Silver Fox actor, but Acronis tracks the cluster as unattributed with low confidence.
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Hackers Abuse YouTube Gaming Channels and SEO Poisoning to Deploy RATs and Chrome Hijacker
Unit 42 exposed CL-CRI-1171, a pay-per-install operation using YouTube gaming channels and SEO poisoning to deliver RATs and a Chrome hijacker.
Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 identified over 10,000 OfferLoader samples and 11 YouTube channels pushing trojanized installers via gaming lures and SEO-poisoned searches for tools like WinDirStat and Bluetooth drivers. Trojanized Inno Setup installers spawn three payload branches: Insomnia RAT (dual Node.js/Python backdoor that disables Microsoft Defender), ARKTunnel (undocumented RAT hiding its payload in a bitmap image and tunneling TCP/UDP), and Docro Hijacker (alters Chrome protected preferences to hijack search and affiliate links). The pay-per-install model sells each infection to multiple buyers, reaching gamers as well as corporate and government endpoints.
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