A New POCO RAT Targets Spanish-Speaking Financial Institutions

July 11, 2024 Security

Recently, a new remote access trojan (RAT) named POCO has been identified, specifically targeting Spanish-speaking financial institutions. This discovery made by researchers from cybersecurity firm Cybereason is of concern due to the potential financial damages and threats to privacy it poses.

The POCO RAT, delivered through phishing emails, has an array of features that make it a potent threat. These include keylogging abilities, the capacity to capture screenshots, and the power to execute commands remotely. It also has the ability to shut down or restart the infected system.

One of the more concerning aspects of POCO RAT is the use of a technique called living off the land (LOLbins). This involves the use of legitimate processes and files already present in the system for malicious purposes. This makes detection more challenging as the malware is effectively hiding in plain sight.

The implantation of the POCO RAT starts with a phishing email containing a Word document. The document contains malicious macros that, when enabled, download and execute the POCO RAT payload. This initial infection vector is not new and has been used by various threat actors in the past.

The POCO RAT campaign seems to target Spanish-speaking users specifically. The phishing emails and the decoy documents used in the campaign are all in Spanish. Additionally, the command and control (C2) servers used by the POCO RAT are also hosted in Spanish-speaking countries. This geographical focus suggests that the threat actors behind POCO RAT have a specific interest in these regions.

Cybereason researchers have found that POCO RAT shares code similarities with other well-known RATs like njRAT and RevengeRAT. This may suggest that the threat actors behind POCO RAT are not starting from scratch but are instead modifying and adapting existing malicious tools to their needs.

The emergence of POCO RAT serves as a reminder of the evolving and persistent nature of cyber threats. It underscores the importance of maintaining robust cybersecurity measures, especially for financial institutions. Regular system updates, employee education on phishing attempts, and robust firewalls are just a few of the measures that can help guard against such threats.

While the cybersecurity community is continually working to detect and counter such threats, the onus is also on individuals and organizations to remain vigilant. Awareness of the tactics employed by threat actors, such as phishing emails and the use of legitimate system processes, can go a long way in preventing infection.

In conclusion, the new POCO RAT is a potent threat to Spanish-speaking financial institutions. By understanding its modus operandi, organizations can better protect themselves from this and similar threats. With cyber threats constantly evolving, it is more important than ever to stay one step ahead.

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