In this article, we will explore the concept of a honeypot in cybersecurity and how deception honeypot technology is utilized to strengthen digital defenses.

What is a Honeypot and How Does it Work?

If you’re wondering, “What is ReasonLabs?” or “How can it help protect me online?” you’re in the right place. This blog will explore how the new Online Security ReasonLabs application has become one of the best tools for safeguarding social security online, protecting your identity, and ensuring privacy.

What Is the Best Digital Secure App? ReasonLabs Application

In this review, we’ll tell you how RAV Endpoint Protection lives up to its promises and how it compares to some of the competition. 

Is RAV Endpoint Protection Legit?

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and to learn more about consumers’ internet habits and the cybersecurity issues they face, ReasonLabs commissioned a survey of 7,484 consumers across the United States from August 23 - September 4, 2024. The survey results highlight significant online security, privacy, and identity theft issues.

2024 Consumer Cybersecurity Pulse Report

FaceTime is one of Apple’s most cherished apps, offering effortless video calls to iPhones, iPads, and Mac users worldwide. However, FaceTime can occasionally encounter problems such as technical glitches, or UX issues like activation. 

Why Is My FaceTime Not Working? How To Activate FaceTime

If you are a Canadian traveling abroad or someone trying to enhance your privacy and security online, utilizing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a must-do. This article will help walk you through the process of how to get a Canadian IP Address.

How To Get A Canadian IP Address

The word ‘games’ implies fun – but some of these popular online experiences, even those aimed at kids, contain worrying content. Here's what you should be looking out for.

7 Alarming Online Games to Watch Out For

We'll explore effective strategies and tips to help you figure out how to prevent trackers and how to stop being tracked online.

Tired of Being Tracked? How to Stop Being Tracked Online

This blog post will guide you through understanding iMessage, troubleshooting common issues, and teach you how to enable iMessage.

iMessage Not Working? Here's How To Enable iMessage

 In this article, we'll detail how to know if your phone is hacked, what to dial to see if your phone is hacked, describe different signs your phone is hacked, and finally what you should do if your phone is hacked.

What To Dial To See If Your Phone Is Hacked

If you are a Navy Federal Credit Union member and you are wondering how to report Navy Federal credit fraud, read this blog.

How To Report Navy Federal Credit Fraud

This detailed article will dive deep into what is an IP UK address, how to get a UK IP address, how to use a UK IP address, RAV mobile VPN for iPhone, and more. 

How to Get a UK IP Address

If you’re looking for information on how to reprieve AOL Mail, look no further! Retrieving your AOL mail is a straightforward process and for mobile users, AOL also offers an app for Android and iOS devices.

What is AOL? How to Retrieve AOL Mail

Is identity theft protection worth it? Utilizing identity theft protection can provide peace of mind, especially for seniors who may be more susceptible to fraud and online scams. 

What Is The Best Identity Theft Protection For Seniors?

You might be wondering how to get a US IP address, so let’s dive into why you might want one in the first place, what a US IP address look like, how can I get a US IP address, and more. 

How To Get A US IP Address

Mukbang has gained immense popularity across various social media platforms, particularly on video-sharing sites like YouTube, Twitch, and platforms that support live streaming. But what does 'mukbang' and ASMR mean?

What Is Mukbang and ASMR? Effects Of This Social Media Trend

Who doesn’t love a good fishing trip? Go ahead, picture the scene: it’s just you,…

What is Spear Phishing? How to Defend Against Spear Phishing

Identity theft is a growing concern that can have severe consequences for your financial health and personal security - so being able to check if your identity has been stolen is crucial.

How To Check For Identity Theft: 7 Tips For Identity Protection

The csrss.exe Trojan is a type of malware that disguises itself as the legitimate csrss.exe process. Cybercriminals exploit this to hide malicious activities within a process that appears to be a trusted system file. The csrss.exe Trojan can open backdoors, steal sensitive information, and allow unauthorized access to your system.


How To Remove csrss.exe Trojan: A Comprehensive Guide

As Instagram continues to evolve, so do the strategies employed by scammers on Instagram. Staying vigilant and informed is essential in safeguarding yourself from these threats. 

Instagram Scam Messages: How To Avoid Them & Protect Yourself

The svchost.exe process is a fundamental part of the Windows operating system, responsible for running essential services efficiently. However, its importance also makes it a target for cybercriminals who create malware disguised as svchost.exe.

What Is svchost.exe Malware? How To Protect Your System 

The security of your Wi-Fi network is paramount in protecting our data and online behavior. This blog explores the potential vulnerabilities, signs of compromise, and effective strategies to protect your Wi-Fi from unauthorized access.

Can Someone Hack Your Wi-Fi Password? Signs & How To Fix It

Ticketmaster is the latest company to suffer a data breach, leading to compromised customer data.
Discovering that your data has been breached can be a troubling experience, but recognizing the signs early can help you mitigate the damage and take appropriate action.

Latest Data Breach: Were You Affected By Ticketmaster Hack?

Search engines are indispensable tools for accessing information. However, as concerns about online privacy grow, many users are seeking alternatives that prioritize their personal data's security. 

Best Secure Search Engines: How A VPN Can Help

ReasonLabs is proud to be recognized by Virus Bulletin alongside other top-tier security providers for excellence in malware detection and prevention

RAV Endpoint Protection Earns A+ Grade In VB100 Certification

With the allure of new online games and the temptation of obtaining them for free, many young gamers might find themselves downloading pirated software. As a parent, it's crucial to understand the risks associated with this practice and how you can protect your children from potential harm.

Is Your Child Gaming Online? How To Avoid Pirated Software

The Zeus virus, also known as Zbot, is one of the most infamous and persistent malware threats to ever hit the cybersecurity landscape. In this blog, we'll delve into what the Zeus virus is, how it operates, and how you can protect yourself from its harmful effects.

Zeus Virus Detected! The Signs You Need To Know

As the frequency of cyber threats and data breaches in the digital age are rampant, consumers are increasingly concerned about the security of their online activities. Web browser extensions, such as Online Security from ReasonLabs, play a crucial role in empowering users to defend themselves against potential threats and data breaches.

Digital Identity Protection: Why Data Monitoring Is An Important Defense

One often overlooked aspect of digital hygiene is clearing out your Wi-Fi history. In this blog post, we'll explore why you might want to delete your Wi-Fi history, how to do it, and some additional tips for keeping your digital life organized and secure.

Digital Spring Clean! How To Delete Wi-Fi History

While VPNs are commonly associated with desktop computers, their utility extends seamlessly to mobile devices, including Android smartphones and tablets. Using RAV VPN for Android will enhance your online security - find out how!

Best VPN For Android: How To Download RAV VPN 

With the rise of mobile payment platforms like Apple Pay, the ease of sending and receiving money has never been simpler. However, with this convenience also comes the risk of scams and fraudulent activities.

Apple Pay Scams: How To Prevent These Scams

The recent AT&T data breach has underscored the evolving threat landscape and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data, such as the use of the Online Security browser extension. 

AT&T’s Massive Data Breach: All You Need To Know

As one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, Instagram makes it easier than ever to make connections, share experiences, and discover new trends. However, amidst the endless scroll of captivating content lurks the darker world of scams - namely, crypto scams.

How To Recognize Bitcoin Mining Instagram Scams

Restrictions on access to advanced technologies, export control regulations, and concerns about misuse or abuse of AI capabilities can all contribute to limitations on availability of OpenAI. If OpenAI services are not available in your country, there may be a few reasons behind this!

Uh-Oh! Why OpenAI Services Are Not Available In Your Country

Removing hard inquiries from your credit report can be a strategic move to improve your creditworthiness and financial standing.

Secret Ways To Remove Hard Inquiries From Credit Reports Now!

Customer data breaches have become an all-too-common occurrence, posing significant risks to individuals' privacy, financial security, and personal well-being. From large-scale cyberattacks on multinational corporations to targeted phishing schemes aimed at unsuspecting individuals, the dangers of data breaches loom large.

Online Dictionary Data Leak Occurs! What You Need To Know About The Latest Data Breach

The surge in online scams reported by the FBI, and subsequent huge financial losses, reveals the significant threats to consumers' financial security and personal information. But how is this happening? How are malevolent actors managing to get away with so much?

$12.5 Billion Losses From Online Scams! All You Need To Know

Tax identity theft is a serious concern, but with awareness, vigilance, and the right cybersecurity measures, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams.

Tax Identity Theft: Protect Yourself from Tax Return Scams & Frauds

It would be nice to believe that giveaway offers on social media platforms are real; however, as with most online ‘too good to be true’ scenarios, this is unfortunately generally not the case. We’ve rounded up some of the most common giveaway scams that occur on the YouTube platform.

Fake YouTube Giveaway Scams: How To Recognize Them!

.msi files are widely used for software distribution and installation due to their standardized format and reliability. While .msi files themselves are not inherently unsafe, they can be manipulated by malicious actors to deliver malware

MSIExec.Exe Files: How To Know If I Can Uninstall Or If It's Safe   

Malicious code refers to specific lines or segments of code within a program or script that are designed to carry out malicious actions e.g. cause harm, exploit vulnerabilities, or compromise the security and functionality of a computer system, network, or device without the knowledge or consent of the user. 

How To Avoid Downloading Malicious Code: Malware Warning!

This January 2024, the ‘Mother of All Breaches’ is making headlines as a ‘supermassive’ data leak, affecting no less than 26 billion leaked data records. It's time to change your passwords and scan your email to check for personal data breaches!

Data Leaked! How To Secure Your Accounts After The "MoAB"

The increasing reliance on the WhatsApp messaging app has brought to light several security concerns that users should be aware of to protect their privacy and data.

WhatsApp Security Issues: Risks & Dangers Hiding In Your Phone!

Java, a versatile programming language, has become an integral part of countless applications and websites. With its widespread use, scammers have seized the opportunity to exploit users through deceptive Java update scams.

Java Update Scam: Is It Safe To Download Or A Fake Virus?

One crucial tool in the arsenal of identity protection is the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). This unique six-digit number adds an extra layer of security to your identity, helping to prevent unauthorized use of your Social Security Number (SSN) and thwart potential identity theft.

Identity Theft Defense: How To Find My Identity Protection Pin

By preventing data breaches and ensuring secure communication, Endpoint Protection safeguards your sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. 

EPP vs Antivirus: Unmasking the Endpoint Protection You Need

Cyber threats are continually evolving, and one particularly stealthy technique that has gained notoriety is DLL injection. This method allows attackers to compromise the integrity of a system by manipulating dynamic link libraries (DLLs). 

What is DLL Injection Attack? A Hacker's Secret Weapon Exposed

The latest report from ReasonLabs, The Cashback Extension Killer, discusses a set of malicious web extensions disguised as fake VPNs, delivered by a Trojan installer, and distributed through torrent files, that were then live on the Chrome Web Store for months, ultimately affecting over 2 million users! What can we learn from this?

Fake VPNs: How To Prevent Them On Your Device

In the realm of software and digital media, keygens have a notorious reputation. This blog will explore what keygens are, how they work, the associated risks, and how users can navigate the delicate balance between legitimate and illegitimate keygens while safeguarding their cybersecurity.

What Is A Keygen?: How To Safely Activate Software

Rogue security software, often synonymous with fake antivirus, encompasses a broader category of malicious applications that portray themselves as legitimate security tools. This may also be known as ‘rogueware’, ‘rogue antivirus’ or ‘scareware.’

What’s Fake Antivirus & Can It Trigger Rogue Security Software? 

'Weak security’ in the context of Wi-Fi typically refers to vulnerabilities or inadequacies in the security measures implemented to protect a wireless network. The security of a Wi-Fi network is crucial to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and other potential threats. 

Weak Security Wi-Fi? 10 Ways to Strengthen & Fix Security Wi-Fi

The festive season is upon us, bringing joy, warmth, and unfortunately, an increase in holiday scams designed to exploit the goodwill and online shopping frenzy. As you prepare for the festivities, it's crucial to be aware of common scams that could jeopardize your holiday cheer.


12 Scams of Christmas: How To Avoid Holiday Phishing Scams!

Whether you're exploring new websites, chatting on messaging apps, or interacting with AI software like ChatGPT, it's crucial to distinguish between what's real and genuine, and what's fake and possibly malicious. 


How to Recognize Fake ChatGPT & Fake Domains

As businesses and individuals alike host crucial information on web servers, understanding the importance of security for servers and adopting best practices is imperative. In this blog, we'll delve into the realm of web server security and explore its significance, different methods to secure web servers, and the best network security practices to keep your digital fortress robust.


What is Web Server Security? Best Secure Practices To Employ

WhatsApp is a great way to keep in touch with far-off friends and relatives but it also can be a scammer's digital playground.

Coming to a Smartphone Near You! The Latest Round of WhatsApp Scams

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take proactive steps to protect yourself online. With ReasonLabs products by your side, you can navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How To Empower Your Cybersecurity Journey

Understand the ways in which identity fraud can occur, and the depth to which it can affect the victim.

How Does Identity Theft Happen? Learn to Safeguard Yourself

ReasonLabs’ Revenge of the Unitrix report brings to the fore the latest research on how text tricks can make us run malicious code on our devices.  But what do you as a consumer need to know? Can fonts have viruses? Can font files contain malware and other cybersecurity risks? 

Can Fonts Have Viruses? Cybersecurity: Fonts Dangers To Avoid 

Cybercriminals and hackers constantly seek ways to exploit vulnerabilities in security systems to gain access to sensitive financial information, including credit card numbers.

Credit Card Hacking: How Do People Steal Credit Card Numbers?

Investigate the VBS downloader Trojan VBS:malware-gen detection, and learn how to prevent this malware from attacking your devices. 

What is VBS:Malware-gen?

By actively monitoring your credit card activities and providing alerts, credit card monitoring services enable you to detect and respond to identity theft in its early stages.

What is Credit Monitoring? 6 Pros of Credit Monitoring Services

Find out more about tax identity theft and how you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

What is Tax Identity Theft? How You Can Protect Yourself

What is a credit report and what is a credit inquiry? This blog examines both of these subjects, as well as provides some top tips for the removal of hard inquiries on a credit report.

Top Tips For How To Remove Hard Inquiries From Credit Report

Your social security number (SSN) is one of the most crucial pieces of personal information you possess. Unfortunately, it is also a highly sought-after target for identity thieves and fraudsters.

Is It Safe To Text Social Security Numbers? 10 SSN Safety Tips 

ReasonLabs researchers discovered multiple files downloaded to its users’ devices which were supposed to be Super Mario Bros. but were instead files distributing malicious software.

The Super Mario Bros. Pirate

ReasonLabs has developed a new Dark Web Monitoring feature as part of its Online Security Extension. So what is the dark web and how does dark web monitoring software help protect the consumer?

What Is Dark Web Monitoring And Why Should Everyone Use It?

How can Microsoft Office documents be used as cyber threats and what can users do to protect themselves?

Office Documents Are Being Weaponized. How May It Affect You?

Let’s take a look at how and why parental controls can offer added cybersecurity, and why it is so important.

Cyber Safety For Every Member of Your Family

Here are the top cybersecurity trends home users need to know for 2023.

Top Cybersecurity Trends for 2023: What Do Home Users Need To Know?

Here's how Chrome push notifications work and why you need Online Security.

How Do Chrome Push Notifications Work and What Security Risks Are Involved?

Browser Extensions: Will They Boost My Online Experience?

Endpoint Protection: All You Need to Know for Maximum Security

It’s Halloween! Scary Cyber Attacks and How To Avoid Them

It’s almost October – known more fondly in the cybersecurity world as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022: 5 Tips for Consumers

  It’s the last week of the summer holidays, and parents, kids, teens, college students and teachers alike are getting ready to of back to school.

Back to School: 5 Top Cybersecurity Tips at this Busy Time

Filters, Protects, Blocks: 3 Ways A DNS Ensures Safer Online Experience

Here are out top tips for keeping you and your kids cyber safe on this World Social Media Day.

6 Top Tips for Staying Cyber Safe on World Social Media Day

Betcha didn’t know it, but June is Internet Safety Month. You probably missed that section in…

June is Internet Safety Month; How Safe are Your Kids on Social Media?

Most of us don’t realize just how easy and common it is for hackers to…

Why Webcam And Mic Protection Is A Must-Have

Technology keeps changing our lives — in most cases for the better, but in some…

Improving Your Cybersecurity Habits: 5 Tips for Digital Hygiene

Spring is here! Bunnies are hopping, birds are chirping – and little colored eggs are…

The Easter Egg Hunt meets Cybersecurity! 3 tips for a Cyber Safe Easter

Having reviewed in depth the cybersecurity threats that have been facing consumers worldwide in our…

Year Of the Miner: Cybersecurity Threats Exposed in ReasonLabs' 2022 Report

  Roses are red,  Violets are blue; Protect your online presence In 2022 Hearts, flowers,…

Love is in the Air! Don’t Let Cybercrime Ruin Your Special Day!

February 3rd is Harry Potter Book Night! Kids and adults around the world are looking…

Harry Potter and the Cybersecurity Solution: Tips to Stay Cyber Safe in 2022!

Data Privacy Day occurs annually on January 28th; it represents an international effort to raise…

How You Can Protect Yourself This Data Privacy Day

News broke last week concerning a Monero mining malware found in a copy of the…

Don't Get Stuck in its Web! How to Combat Spider-Man Mining Malware

 Spider-miner, spider-miner, does whatever a miner can. Mine a coin, spawn a thread, Uses…

Spider-Miner: With Great Power Comes Great Problems!

It’s that time of year again – mulled wine, pine needles, cuddly sweaters, and maybe…

Jingle Bells Are On Their Way! Beware Of These Christmas Scams

With Cyber Monday looming, and ads galore headed our way, we know that we can…

Cyber Monday: The Online Shopper's Dream! But Are You Shopping Securely?

You’ve probably all seen the announcement that October is ‘National CyberSecurity Awareness Month’ – and…

Be Cyber Aware: Where Do You Find the Best Antivirus in Oct 2021?

It’s Halloween this week – a time for people to dress up in scary costumes,…

Don’t Get Spooked: How to Recognize Cyber Demons Before They Find You!

The technology for virtual private networks (VPNs) dates back to 1996 when Microsoft employees created…

VPNs: Who? What? When? Where? Why? And How?

One manifestation of freedom is the privilege to be a small business owner. Freedom and…

Independence Day: Cybersecurity Brings Independence to SMBs

The Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE) movement has made significant progress in raising…

The LGBTQ Community Faces New Cyber Threats 

Dear Dads, As Father’s Day approaches and you prepare for tasty outdoor barbecues, fun family…

Note to Dad: The Nuts and Bolts of Cybersecurity

The COVID-19 pandemic was not a one-time, over-and-done traumatic experience. It continues to be a…

The COVID-19 Effect: A Surge in Online Retail AND Cyber Attacks

Reason Cybersecurity has joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) to improve global cybersecurity in…

ReasonLabs has joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA)

No more cookies in our future? In today’s digital world, data is the mainstay of…

No More Cookies in our Future?

Mother’s Day is one of the most popular holidays of the year and the second…

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Data Privacy Day occurs annually on January 28th; it represents an international effort to raise awareness about how data is collected, stored and used. The day serves as a reminder for organizations and individuals to take action around data privacy. The rapid advancement of technology development has seen a widening concern of how privacy is protected, so much so that it has now become a Human Rights issue.

Although we live in an increasingly digital world, most of us give little thought to data privacy: it only seems to enter our consciousness _after_ our personal data has been compromised. Our increased reliance on digital technology to manage every facet of our lives necessitates the need to reconsider what we share about ourselves, when and where we share it, and who we are sharing it with.

## Let’s start with a survey question:

Do you know how your data is used?

A) I never give out my personal data

B) I have a vague idea 

C) I have no idea how my data is used!

If you answered ‘B’ or ‘C’ – you’re in luck! We’ve collated some great tips to help you and your data privacy needs. At a time when so much of our lives is based online, it’s vital to be aware of what data you share, and how it is used.

## Data Privacy Elements

Data Privacy is comprised of 3 elements:

- An individual’s autonomy over how their data is used
- Proper procedures for how data is collected, processed and shared
- Compliance – data protection laws were put in place in some countries to safeguard individuals’ control over their data. Only by complying with these laws can organizations maintain trust for the consumer.

## Personal Data

For both businesses and hackers alike, personal data is a valuable form of currency. As with a bank account or a credit card, take the time to think about what safeguards you have in place. You should also closely consider where and why you’re sharing data with any organizations or groups that may request it. Some important points to consider:

- Check privacy settings on any new devices, programs, software or platforms in use – including social media.
- Secure any Wi-Fi networks that you may be using, either for work or personal purposes, with software like [RAV VPN](https://reasonlabs.com/platform/products/vpn). 
- Ensure that your software is always up-to-date. If you are using older software versions on your devices, hackers may be able to exploit unpatched bugs.
- Filling in an online quiz or consumer survey may not seem like a particularly ominous activity, but it’s recommended to refrain from answering random questions about your personality, marriage, habits, pets or favorite foods. 
- Ensure that you’re using strong passwords across your devices. Switching to new passwords on a regular basis is strongly recommended.

## Third-Party Data

If you use the services of an organization or company, establish what their protocol is regarding third-party data. Trust is an important aspect of customer relations, especially when it comes to sensitive data. As a client or customer, you are entitled to ask the following questions.  

- How do they collect and use customer data? 
- Were you given the opportunity to decline the use of your data by other vendors and parties?
- Is there transparency regarding how they store data? 

This Data Privacy Day, take advantage of the many international events taking place online. Connect with thought leaders to learn more about steps you can take to secure your data. And as always, you can also spread awareness about data protection to your friends, family and community.

Data-Privacy-Day-scaled.jpg

[News broke](https://www.zdnet.com/article/beware-of-cryptominers-when-downloading-spider-man-no-way-home-torrents/) last week concerning a Monero mining malware found in a copy of the new _Spider-Man: No Way Home_ movie. ReasonLabs [detected](https://blog.reasonlabs.com/2021/12/23/spider-miner-with-great-power-comes-great-problems/) this malware circulating on torrent sites, which then diverts the user’s computer to mine the “privacy coin” Monero. 

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Spider-Man-1-1024x768.jpg)  
Our latest research has discovered the “wallet” belonging to this attacker, possibly one of many. We believe that it is connected to a pool of miners – the chances are that the attacker has created many different accounts,in order to make this attack as lucrative as possible

Unfortunately, it is very easy to enact a coin miner attack these days – there’s a public repository of code any developer could replicate and use to create malware. Because it’s easy to do, it’s becoming more popular. You don’t need to be a genius – you just need to have some knowledge of coding, and bad ethics! 

Furthermore, unless it is detected initially, it’s very difficult to remove this malware manually.

**Why are miners so bad for you?**

❇️The virus encourages you to click, and then finds a way to continue running and mining coins, even when you’re away from your computer. So, even if you aren’t in front of your machine, your computer will be working hard for nothing – leading to more energy consumption. 

❇️ As well as not being eco-friendly, this can badly affect the battery on a laptop or, in extreme cases, could potentially make your PC overheat.

❇️ A badly implemented miner could substantially slow down your machine.

❇️ A user may mistakenly think it’s the internet connection that is slower, and not realize that it’s the miner’s doing. Even watching a YouTube video could become a problem.

❇️ Users may encounter system crashes and disruption of regular operations.

❇️ It is highly dangerous to have a malicious application running on your computer. It can lead to much more severe cases of malware.

**Our cybersecurity experts have a few simple tips to avoid cryptojacking:** 

✅ Install an excellent antivirus that will detect these forms of malware (for antivirus questions you can contact our [support team](https://www.reasonsecurity.com/contact-us?prod=6&utm_source=reason_blog&utm_medium=spider_miner_contact_us&aflt=70)).

✅ Maintain and update your software and operating system so that you are less susceptible to vulnerabilities.

✅ Be wary when downloading files from websites. Only use sites you trust – you can always check for authentic website certification.

✅ When downloading video or audio files – make sure the file extension is of the expected format (e.g. _.mp4_) and not of an executable format (e.g. _.exe_).

If you’re worried you may have already encountered this malware, there are a few simple ways you can check your device – see our article [**How to Mitigate the Spider-Miner Attack:** **Our Step-By-Step Guide**](https://reasonlabs.com/research/dont-get-stuck) for a comprehensive method of checking whether your device has been infected.

If you’re unsure how to go about detecting or deleting this type of malware, we recommend contacting our [ReasonLabs Customer Support](https://www.reasonsecurity.com/contact-us?prod=6&utm_source=reason_blog&utm_medium=spider_miner_contact_us&aflt=70) for more advice and practical help.

Spider-Man-1-scaled-e1641280289844.jpg

**Spider-miner, spider-miner, does whatever a miner can.**

**Mine a coin, spawn a thread,**

**Uses your electricity while you’re in bed.**

**Look out!**

**Here comes the spider miner … !**

![Screenshot_1.png](https://cms-reasonlabs-com.s3.amazonaws.com/cdn/Screenshot_1_51296c3bc6.png)

**Summary** 

To lure in as many victims as possible, attackers must stay up to date with trending topics. In this case, we are facing someone who has placed a Monero miner in a torrent download of what seems to be the new movie Spider-Man: No Way Home. The file identifies itself as “spiderman\_net\_putidomoi.torrent.exe,” which translates from Russian to “spiderman\_no\_wayhome.torrent.exe.” The origin of the file is most likely from a Russian torrenting website. This miner adds exclusions to Windows Defender, creates persistence, and spawns a watchdog process to maintain its activity.

**Static Review**

Before detailing the malware actions, let’s first see what it has planned for us in the code. The malware is not signed and written in .net, and as of this date, it is not present in Virus Total. The malware tries to stay away from examining eyes, by using ‘legitimate’ names for the files and processes that it creates; for example, it claims to be by Google and drops files with names like sihost64.exe, and injects to svchost.exe.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_40.png)


At first, the code seems somewhat unreadable, due to obfuscated function names and strings. All strings in the code are base64 encoding of encrypted strings. It uses decryption on the decoded base64 strings that are provided in the code. During analysis, we changed the function names to meaningful ones, and decrypted the strings for better understanding of the code.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_3-2-1024x329.png)

The program has the ability to start a process and inject its embedded resources into another process:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_4.png)

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_5-1024x597.png)

The injection happens in this section of code:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_6-1024x448.png)

After our decryption, this changes to:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_37-1024x281.png)

Here we can see that it targets “c:\\windows\\system32\\svchost.exe” for the injection process. Resource “rvyzh” is a zip file, which is decompressed on runtime and injected into svchost.exe in a thread hijacking method.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_8-1024x488.png)

Please note: Function names and encrypted strings have been modified by us for better readability.

We can also see basic operations of creating persistence, querying host information with wmi, and dropping files.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_11-1024x173.png)

Later in the research process, we found that the miner is a version of SilentXMRMiner, which is published free to use at github  [https://github.com/UnamSanctam/SilentXMRMiner](https://github.com/UnamSanctam/SilentXMRMiner). 

The project offers a comfortable GUI to compile a new miner, with the relevant information per user. After the information is supplied, all that is left is to distribute the miner.

We encountered various compiled versions of this project, some more obfuscated than others.

**Process tree:**
-----------------

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_13-1024x488.png)

Provided by any.run                       

The program starts two powershell encoded commands, that adds the following extended exclusions to Microsoft Defender: ignore all folders under the user profile, the system drive (i.e. “c:\\\\”), and all files with extensions of “.exe” or “.dll”.

Can’t be too safe, right?

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_14-1024x270.png)

The decoded command translates to:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_15.png)

It then creates a persistence in the shape of registry CurrentVersion\\Run key or a scheduled task named “services” on every logon:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_17-1024x91.png)

Following the creation of the persistence, it makes sure to run it:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_18-1024x27.png)

The new process “services.exe” runs the same encoded powershell commands:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_19-1024x270.png)

At first run, it would kill any process that has the name of its components to make sure only one instance is running at a given moment.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_20-1024x360.png)

The program drops 2 files to disk:

*   Sihost64.exe,
*   WR64.sys

Two new processes are then executed:

*   Sihost64.exe – watchdog process

This file comes from the resource named “oocetcmsrfsmni” and is not so different from the main file. Its main functionality is to make sure the mining process is running.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_22.png)

*   Svchost.exe – this process is the proper miner, which contacts the domain “mine.bmpool.org”.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_23-1024x128.png)

When trying to base64 decode the commandline string we get: 

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_7-1.png)

A lot of miners often drop a configuration file to the infected host – a file that has information needed to mine and link the mining activity to the attacker. Other than conf file, it is also possible to supply this information in the commandline parameters. The problem with those methods is that AV products will detect this activity quickly and block the process.

To survive this, another option that miners choose is to compile their own version of the xmrig miner, and hide this information inside or even add more functionality.

In our case, _Svchost_ is injected by the main process, as described above, with the contents of a zipped resource. This resource is responsible for the mining. When we extract the contents we can identify “xmrig” mining program, which is an open-source project used to mine Monero coin https://github.com/xmrig/xmrig.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_3-3.png)

As we can see here, the result is not readable.

This version is a self-compiled version, which contains all of the necessary information needed to start mining (username, password, algorithm, mining pool). All those strings do not appear in cleartext anywhere, and only after dumping the process memory we were able to see all of the above.

In addition, we found evidence of evasion from monitoring tools – such as Process Explorer, Process Hacker, Perfmon, and task manager.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_6-1.png)

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_5-1.png)

**YARA**
--------

We created a simple YARA rule to keep track of this miner:

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot-2021-12-23-195512-300x142.png)

**IOCs:**
---------

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot-2021-12-23-200419-300x52.png)

Network

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_30.png)

Registry

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_31-1024x127.png)

**Conclusion**
--------------

We recommend taking extra caution when downloading content of any kind from non-official sources – whether it’s a document in an email from an unknown sender, a cracked program from a fishy download portal, or a file from a torrent download.

One easy precaution you can take is to always check that the file extension matches the file you are expecting e.g. in this case, a movie file should end with “.mp4”, not “.exe”. Try to gather information about the file, and always think twice before double-clicking on it. To make sure you see the real file extension, open a folder, go to “View” and check “File name extensions”. This will make sure you see the full file type.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/Screenshot_33.png)

Although this malware does not compromise personal information (which is what most users are afraid of when thinking about a virus on their computer), the damage that a miner causes can be seen in the user’s electricity bill. This is real money that they have to pay, given that the miner runs for long periods. Additionally, the damage can be felt on a user’s device as often miners require high CPU usage, which causes the computer to slow down drastically.

**Author**
----------

Dana Yosifovich, Security Researcher at ReasonLabs

**About ReasonLabs**
--------------------

ReasonLabs is a leading cybersecurity company providing enterprise-grade protection for all users around the globe. Led by a team of cyber experts and visionaries, including former Microsoft Lead Security Program Manager, Andrew Newman, ReasonLabs has developed unique, cutting-edge technology to combat all emerging cyber threats at the earliest possible stage. ReasonLabs’ innovative engine scans over 1 billion files in 180 countries a day, delivering fast, comprehensive data, and providing 24/7 real-time threat detection. To learn more about ReasonLabs, please visit [https://reasonlabs.com](https://reasonlabs.com)

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