ESET reports that Russia-aligned group UAC-0099 is using spearphishing emails with malicious links to deliver a downloader called MATCHBOIL. The attack relies on tricking a person into manually running a downloaded VBScript, which then fetches and installs further malware and sets up persistence for repeat access.
Mirage safely runs attacks like this one against your own team, so you find out what happens before a real adversary does.
You get an email: “Document review required, download attached archive.” Looks legit, targeted, even urgent. You click. A ZIP downloads. Inside is not a document, but a .vbs script. The email tells you: “Run this script to view the files.” That’s the MATCHBOIL trap. Run it, and MATCHBOIL quietly talks over HTTPS to a remote server, pulls down the MATCHWOK backdoor, and adds itself to your Windows startup so it survives every reboot. Here’s the move: if a download from email ever wants you to run a script file like .vbs, stop and report it to security immediately, don’t run it, even once.
Microsoft reports real-world Star Blizzard phishing campaigns where victims who engage with an initial email receive a follow-up message containing a password-protected ZIP/RAR attachment. The attachment chain hides a malicious shortcut disguised as a PDF, opening a decoy file while quietly…
ESET reports that the Russia-aligned group UAC-0099 used spear‑phishing emails to trick victims in Ukraine into clicking a link that downloads a malicious archive. The infection chain runs a script that installs MATCHBOIL, which then downloads a spying backdoor (MATCHWOK) and sets persistence so it…
Researchers describe real-world “ClickFix” social-engineering lures that trick people into installing malware by downloading fake apps (like Spotify/Zoom/Teams) or copying commands into Terminal. One campaign abused a compromised, verified HBO Max Reddit account to run malicious ads, while another…
Microsoft reports Russia-linked Star Blizzard sent fake event invitations and other business notices to trick targets into opening disguised files that install a Windows backdoor. The campaigns targeted Ukraine-linked people and organizations and hit 100+ organizations, mainly in the U.S. and U.K.,…
Microsoft reports that the Russian state-linked actor Star Blizzard ran large-scale phishing campaigns in 2026 that use convincing lures like tax notices, fines, and “closed-door” event invitations. After a victim replies, the attacker sends a password-protected ZIP/RAR attachment that triggers a…
Researchers say the Iran-linked group Nimbus Manticore posed as recruiters on LinkedIn and job platforms to send developers “technical challenge” ZIP files that secretly installed cross-platform remote access trojans. The lures used urgency (short test windows) and realistic developer workflows…
