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Cato CTRL reported a previously undocumented malware loader dubbed Foxveil that abuses legitimate services—Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, and short-lived Discord attachments—to stage and retrieve next-stage payloads while blending into normal cloud traffic. The campaign has been assessed as active since August 2025 and uses Donut-generated shellcode with in-memory execution to reduce on-disk artifacts; it also employs a string-mutation routine that rewrites “high-signal” analysis keywords (e.g., payload, inject, shellcode, beacon, http://, .exe) at runtime to complicate static detection and reverse engineering.
Two variants were described. Foxveil v1 retrieves payloads from Cloudflare/Netlify, spawns a process impersonating svchost.exe, and injects code using Early Bird APC injection (queuing the APC while the target process is suspended), then establishes persistence by registering as a Windows service; Foxveil v2 instead performs self-injection and was observed attempting to manipulate Microsoft Defender settings, but appears to mistakenly remove (rather than add) an exclusion for the SysWOW64 path. Both variants drop next-stage payloads into SysWOW64, and Cato reported the malicious staging infrastructure to providers—Netlify confirmed takedown of reported URLs (Jan 19, 2026) and Cloudflare restricted access to reported URLs (Jan 20, 2026)—while Discord attachment links observed were no longer active due to their time-limited nature; Cato also noted potential follow-on use of frameworks such as Cobalt Strike.
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Cato Networks published research on Foxveil, describing two variants, Donut-generated shellcode, in-memory execution, string mutation, process injection techniques, and persistence behavior. The disclosure also included detection guidance focused on suspicious process chains, staged downloads, and writes to system directories.
After Cato reported Foxveil-related malicious infrastructure, Cloudflare and Netlify took action against it in January 2026. Discord-based staging links observed by researchers had already expired because the attachment URLs were short-lived.
Cato Networks assessed that the Foxveil malware loader had been active since August 2025. The loader used legitimate services including Discord, Cloudflare, and Netlify to stage and retrieve payloads while blending into normal traffic.
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Reporting describes several unrelated but contemporaneous malware operations targeting both Windows and Linux environments. In Taiwan, FortiGuard Labs observed targeted phishing using tax and e-invoice lures to deliver **Winos 4.0 (ValleyRat)** and plugins, with delivery chains including malicious `.LNK` files, **DLL sideloading**, and **BYOVD** using the vulnerable driver `wsftprm.sys`, supported by rapidly rotating domains and cloud-hosted infrastructure that reduces the effectiveness of static blocklists. Separately, Cato CTRL reported a new Windows loader, **Foxveil**, that stages and retrieves shellcode via trusted platforms (**Cloudflare Pages**, **Netlify**, and **Discord attachments**) and executes payloads using techniques including **Early Bird APC injection** (often into a fake `svchost.exe`) or self-injection, while persisting via Windows services or masqueraded binaries dropped into `SysWOW64`. Additional reporting covers distinct campaigns in other regions and platforms. A LATAM-focused intrusion chain uses fake bank receipt lures (double-extension such as `.pdf.js`) to deliver **XWorm v5.6**, employing oversized/obfuscated JavaScript, WMI-based process creation (`Win32_Process`) to launch hidden PowerShell, and abuse of a hardcoded **Cloudinary** URL for staging—capabilities consistent with credential theft and enabling follow-on ransomware. Trellix analysis described a separate **Monero** cryptomining operation distributed via pirated software installers that propagates through **USB/external drives** to reach even air-gapped systems, using multi-component “watchdog” self-healing behavior and aggressive defense-evasion. On Linux, LevelBlue detailed a new **SysUpdate** variant (packed `ELF64`) that performs host reconnaissance and uses strong C2 encryption; researchers built a **Unicorn Engine**-based emulation tool to reproduce key generation/encryption routines and decrypt captured C2 traffic for investigation and detection engineering.
Jun 29, 2026
Multiple threat reports describe **ClickFix-style social engineering** and related Windows loader chains that trick users into launching malicious PowerShell or staged binaries, culminating in **memory-resident malware**. In one campaign, a fake CAPTCHA coerces victims into running PowerShell that fetches a first-stage script, injects a .NET loader into `powershell.exe`, and launches a **Donut 0.9.3** shellcode package entirely in memory to deploy an infostealer targeting Firefox data, Chromium cookies, and screenshots. Separate reporting also tied ClickFix activity to **HijackLoader**-based stealer delivery and to a campaign abusing signed **Mozilla Firefox** binaries for **DLL sideloading** of **KongTuke**, with Rust-based DLL variants handling loading, persistence, and command-and-control. Another analyzed infection chain used a heavily obfuscated batch-script loader that rebuilt embedded payloads, renamed PowerShell to `HDVz.exe`, staged files under `C:\ProgramData\IntelDriver`, and created a scheduled task for logon persistence before injecting Donut shellcode into `explorer.exe`. That malware tampered with **AMSI** and **ETW**, used a custom memory marker `DE AD BE CA FE BA EF` to avoid duplicate injection, and sent execution notifications through the **Telegram Bot API** while attempting outbound communication to `167.88.167.9:8356`. Across the reporting, the common pattern is the use of **trusted binaries, in-memory execution, shellcode loaders, and evasive tradecraft** to steal data or maintain access while minimizing disk artifacts and frustrating endpoint detection.
Aug 15, 2026
Multiple reports detail **distinct, unrelated malware families and delivery chains** rather than a single shared incident. One analysis covers **NotOpenClaw**, a Windows malware loader distributed via **fake “OpenClaw” installers** (including GitHub-hosted lures) and emphasizing **VM/sandbox evasion**; the sample analyzed was tagged with stealer-related indicators (e.g., VidarStealer) and was previously referenced in third-party reporting about fake OpenClaw installers deploying additional malware. Separate research describes two different fileless/backdoor operations: **HellsUchecker**, a small native x64 backdoor delivered through a **10-stage chain** beginning with a **ClickFix** fake Cloudflare CAPTCHA that tricks users into pasting an obfuscated Run command, using a LOLBin to fetch payloads over **finger (TCP/79)** and retrieving encrypted C2 configuration from a **BNB Smart Chain** smart contract ("EtherHiding"), culminating in an **in-memory** final payload using **Hell’s Gate** direct syscalls; and **GhostWeaver**, a **fileless PowerShell RAT** that selects persistence based on the installed AV product, uses **TLS over TCP/25658**, and relies on multiple **DGA** routines for delivery and C2. A separate brief reports the **VOID#GEIST** campaign delivering **XWorm**, **AsyncRAT**, and **Xeno RAT** via phishing, batch scripts from **TryCloudflare** domains, staged ZIP payloads, Python-based decryption/execution, and abuse of `AppInstallerPythonRedirector.exe` to facilitate additional RAT deployment.
Jun 29, 2026