Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed the specifics of a concerning new campaign, codenamed “Boto Cor-de-Rosa” by Acronis Threat Research Unit, targeting Brazil. This campaign leverages WhatsApp as a primary distribution vector to spread the Astaroth Windows banking trojan.
The most critical aspect of this operation is its worm-like capability. Once the malware successfully infects a victim’s system, it swiftly harvests the victim’s WhatsApp contact list and automatically sends malicious messages to every contact. This mechanism exploits the ‘chain of trust,’ enabling rapid dissemination under the guise of messages originating from a trusted source.
While Astaroth is a traditional Windows banking trojan primarily designed for stealing financial credentials, its aggressive diffusion strategy maximizes the threat posed by social engineering.
For the Web3 community, this incident serves as a crucial reminder: although Web3 assets (seed phrases and private keys) are secured on the blockchain, the local environment (operating system) used to access them remains a vulnerable vector. A single click on a malicious link or file downloaded via a messenger app can lead to the installation of spyware or keyloggers capable of stealing credentials necessary to access decentralized wallets. Web3 users must recognize that maintaining robust security practices on their underlying Web2 infrastructure is a prerequisite for safeguarding their digital assets.
Source: WhatsApp Worm Spreads Astaroth Banking Trojan Across Brazil via Contact Auto-Messaging
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