In the world of cybercrime, just when you think you’ve seen it all, someone hatches a new backdoor scheme to keep you on your toes—enter “More_Eggs.” No, it’s not your Sunday brunch getting complicated; it’s a sophisticated JScript backdoor that’s turning cybersecurity professionals’ lives into a scramble. So, what exactly is this cyber-omelet, and why should you care? Let’s crack into it.
Credit where credit’s due: Much of what we know about this insidious threat comes from the Trend Micro MDR team’s excellent analysis, which recently illustrated how their Vision One platform successfully intercepted a “More_Eggs” infection. Their insights give us a front-row seat to how this sneaky malware works and how it’s being combated in the real world.
The Anatomy of “More_Eggs”
Let’s start with what “More_Eggs” is: a piece of malware from the Golden Chickens toolkit—a malware-as-a-service (MaaS) kit distributed by an underground gang known charmingly as “Venom Spider.” And yes, that’s not even the weirdest thing about it.
First appearing in 2017, “More_Eggs” has enjoyed a steady evolution, targeting unsuspecting recruitment officers, multinational organizations, and just about anyone it can fool. For context, the Trend Micro Managed Detection and Response (MDR) team recently thwarted a spear-phishing attack aimed at a talent acquisition officer who was lured into downloading a fake resume, resulting in a “More_Eggs” infection. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t a promising applicant but a backdoor ready to wreak havoc on their system.
More_Eggs works with cybercriminal groups like Cobalt Group and FIN6 (notorious for targeting financial institutions and retail industries) as its loyal sidekicks. The idea? Trick an unsuspecting user into executing malicious files, like .LNK files disguised as harmless resumes. Once executed, the malware connects with its command-and-control (C&C) server, downloads additional payloads like ransomware, and, just like that, a new nightmare begins.
A Devious Attack in Action
Here’s how it all started: A phishing email appeared in a recruiter’s inbox, sent by one “John Cboins”—totally a real person, right? After some polite back-and-forth, the recruiter downloaded a .ZIP file containing a .LNK file (which totally didn’t scream “MALWARE” for some reason).
The .LNK file executed some obfuscated commands to open up cmd.exe, and bam! The system was now infected. Like an unwanted guest, More_Eggs set up camp in the system by creating a registry persistence under the HKCU\Environment registry key. For non-techies: it’s like the malware unpacked, made itself comfortable, and then put on the Netflix equivalent of data theft and destruction.
Oh, and did we mention the malware’s love for evasion tactics? More_Eggs disguises its payload as innocuous as possible, sometimes even borrowing legitimate tools like Microsoft’s Command Line Transformation Utility (msxsl.exe) to sneak around unnoticed. Imagine a burglar using your spare key to raid your fridge and reset your Wi-Fi—except, in this case, they’re stealing your banking credentials instead of your pizza.
The Tools of The Trade
When it comes to More_Eggs, the hackers use some clever trickery to evade detection. For starters, they exploit the LOLBins—legitimate executables like ie4uinit.exe and regsvr32.exe that typically don’t trigger alarms in security systems. By using these legit tools, More_Eggs makes its way through your defenses like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The infection continues with obfuscated commands passed to cmd.exe, and from there, the malware sets up persistence, ensuring that even if you reboot your machine, More_Eggs is still lurking. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the command and control server that it connects to. Remember that friendly URL you downloaded the resume from? Turns out, it’s been having late-night chats with a C&C server at hxxps://webmail.raysilkman[.]com, and it’s not about your job performance. It’s exchanging notes on how best to steal your data.
Now, let’s take a minute to marvel at the genius of the More_Eggs toolkit—it doesn’t just stop at a single attack. Once inside your system, More_Eggs can load various types of malware depending on what the hackers want to accomplish. Financial theft? Easy. Ransomware attack? No problem. Data exfiltration? Sure thing. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet for cybercriminals, but you’re the one paying the bill.
How Trend Micro’s MDR Saved the Day
So how did Trend Micro’s MDR team prevent this latest More_Eggs escapade from turning into a full-blown omelet of disaster? Enter Vision One, Trend Micro’s platform for detecting, responding, and containing threats in real-time. Using Vision One’s custom filters and detection models, the MDR team was able to identify suspicious behavior right from the start.
They used custom models that look for telltale signs of malware like persistence in the registry and specific executable patterns. They set up a Security Playbook to automate responses, meaning that as soon as the More_Eggs malware triggered these alerts, the infected endpoint was isolated quicker than you could say “scrambled eggs.”
But that wasn’t all. The MDR team leveraged Vision One’s Endpoint Isolation feature to cut off all network communications from the infected endpoint except the one needed to communicate with the Vision One platform itself. It’s like putting the bad guy in a soundproof room while the cops work out how to arrest him.
Why “More_Eggs” Is More Than Just a Trend
So, you might be asking: “Why should I care about this, aside from the fact that it sounds like the plot of a bad cyber-thriller?” Good question! More_Eggs isn’t just another malware—its use of social engineering, legitimate Windows tools, and its adaptability makes it a dangerous threat, especially in industries that handle sensitive information like finance and retail.
Unlike ransomware that makes a lot of noise once it’s in, More_Eggs likes to lie low, which makes it even more insidious. You might not even realize you’ve been infected until your data is long gone or encrypted. And thanks to the wonders of MaaS (Malware-as-a-Service), anyone with a few bucks and questionable ethics can rent out More_Eggs for their very own cybercrime adventure.
The Cyber Threat That Won’t Go Away
More_Eggs has evolved in the last few years to become a more streamlined, less detectable version of itself. It’s been observed targeting multinational organizations, recruiters, financial institutions, and even LinkedIn users. Every year, new versions of More_Eggs pop up in attacks, adapting to evade detection methods.
Campaigns such as the ones Trend Micro recently documented have been especially concerning because they target people in critical roles—people who have access to systems and information that could provide the attackers with a goldmine of data. In this recent case, it was a recruiter; in other cases, More_Eggs has been used against financial executives and engineers.
The scariest part? The attackers behind More_Eggs aren’t picky. Whether it’s a major international bank or a small engineering firm, everyone’s a potential target. So if you’re not taking these threats seriously yet, it’s time to wake up and smell the (probably poisoned) coffee.
How to Keep Your Eggs Un-Scrambled
Now that we’ve sufficiently terrified you, here are some steps you can take to avoid becoming a More_Eggs victim:
- Don’t trust that resume – No matter how good the candidate looks on paper (or in a ZIP file), double-check before downloading any attachments, especially from unsolicited emails. Better yet, implement a system where job applicants upload resumes directly to a secure portal.
- Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) – This might sound like a no-brainer, but adding an extra layer of security to your login processes can stop an attacker in their tracks.
- Regular security audits – Make sure your security systems are up to date and aren’t relying on outdated signature-based detection methods. Implement behavior-based models, just like the MDR team did with Vision One.
- Endpoint isolation – If you detect a potential malware infection, isolate that system immediately. Don’t wait for an official anti-malware patch—act fast and contain the threat before it spreads.
- Educate your employees – Social engineering is More_Eggs’ favorite way to get in. Make sure your employees know the signs of phishing and social engineering attacks. Training could make the difference between dodging a bullet and a massive data breach.
FAQs
What is More_Eggs Malware?
More_Eggs is a sophisticated JScript backdoor malware distributed via the Golden Chickens MaaS toolkit. It’s used to infiltrate systems, evade detection, and deliver additional payloads like ransomware or spyware.
How does More_Eggs spread?
More_Eggs typically spreads through spear-phishing attacks, where a target is tricked into downloading and executing a malicious file, often disguised as a resume or other common file types like .ZIP or .LNK.
How can I prevent More_Eggs infections?
Prevention involves a mix of good cybersecurity hygiene, including educating your workforce on social engineering tactics, using up-to
-date security tools, and implementing systems like multi-factor authentication and endpoint isolation to mitigate risk.
What industries are most targeted by More_Eggs?
More_Eggs commonly targets financial institutions, retailers, and organizations involved in critical hiring and recruitment activities. However, it can be used against any organization that holds valuable data.
Conclusion: Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Security Basket
The More_Eggs malware teaches us one crucial lesson: complacency isn’t an option in today’s cybersecurity landscape. With its ability to slip through defenses undetected, this malware represents a significant threat to businesses across the globe. So whether you’re a multinational financial institution or a small business, staying ahead of evolving threats like More_Eggs requires vigilance, innovation, and a little bit of paranoia.
Are you ready to take your security seriously? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe for more cybersecurity updates that keep you one step ahead of the bad guys.
