AutoIT gaining popularity smongst Malware Coders

AutoIT, a versatile programming language that’s been utilized since 1999 for scripting in Windows, has become a new comopenet  in next-gen malware like Zeus variants that effectively steal details from FTP sites and private certificates.

Trend Micro said back in May that AutoIT was on the rise as a go-to development language for malware. Their suspicions have proved out. The Zeus variation for example arrives having a malicious AutoIT file and garbage files, via spammed emails. It drops a settings file which contains a list of its focused banks along with other financial sites, but additionally steals any other  information.

It also spotted two other malware samples, Chisburg and Eupuds, that have been updated to use the same AutoIT packer. “The new AutoIt packer tool code found online contains the ability to propagate via removable drives, has installation routines and checks installed antivirus software on the system,” said Mark Joseph Manahan, in a blog. “Furthermore, its code has garbage codes and obfuscated functions to make it harder to analyze. And while these malware are old, they remain to be an effective means to steal information, especially with the added capability of the AutoIt packer.”

When Chisburg is executed into memory, it takes user names and passwords from Yahoo, Hotmail, Pidgin, FileZilla, and VPN/ISP credentials, as well as others. Similarly, Eupuds skims data from the infected systems including user ID, browser and version and OS version. Furthermore, it steals details like user names and passwords saved in specific browsers. Cybercriminals could use the collected details to market in the cybercriminal underground or even launch other attacks, Trend Micro went on to say.

“Another problem is the fact that with the incorporation of malware to a scripting language such as AutoIt, it makes analysis arduous especially if there is no decompiler that can aid in the analysis,” Manahan said. “AutoIt is also used by normal applications.”

You should be running anti-malware software and Malwarebytes to prevent infections and protect your financial data.